MORE: Battling teen driving crashes: Why AAA was at a Butler County school this week
Crash data show teens are a vulnerable driver group with “a higher probability of being involved in crashes,” said David Yang, executive director of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
Between 2013 and 2017, during the 100 Deadliest Days:
• 3,500 people died in crashes involving a teen driver, an average of 700 people each year.
• The average number of deaths from crashes involving teen drivers ages 15-18 was 17 percent higher per day compared to other days of the year.
While teens may make mistakes when first learning to drive, it is important to continue educating them about safety behind the wheel so they avoid the reckless behaviors that put themselves and others at risk on the road, Yang said.
AAA Foundation research found that nearly two-thirds of people injured or killed in a crash involving a teen driver are people other than the teen behind the wheel, making teen driver safety an issue that impacts all road users.
Crashes for teen drivers increase significantly during the summer because teens are out of school and driving more.
“That make sense since they’re on the road and it stays lighter longer,” said Kevin Lackens, owner of Bick’s Driving School with several area locations. “Sometimes with that lack of driving experience, they do not make good decisions.”
Lackens said 90 percent of 16-year-old drivers are involved in a crash during their first year behind the wheel. He said it takes five to seven years of driving before they “develop skills” of an average adult driver.
Inexperience makes teens especially risky drivers and often leads to deadly mistakes. In fact, driver inexperience is the top reason teens crash, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
House Bill 106 would make Ohio’s roads safer by giving teen drivers more experience behind the wheel, according to the AAA.
The bill proposes two small but important adjustments to Ohio’s current licensing system:
- Lengthening the Temporary Instruction Permit phase from six to 12 months.
- Ensuring newly licensed teen drivers are supervised while driving after 10 p.m., rather than midnight, for the first six months of licensure, with exemptions for work, school and religious activities.
AAA officials stress that parents play a vital role in keeping their teens safe. They encourage parents to:
- Talk with teens early and often about abstaining from dangerous behavior behind the wheel, such as speeding, impairment and distracted driving.
- Teach by example and minimize risky behavior when driving.
- Make a parent-teen driving agreement that sets family rules for teen drivers.
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