Why Defensive Drivers Training Is Important for Teens

Driving is a big freedom for teenagers. They get a freedom that they haven’t had.

With this freedom comes a very big responsibility.

Inexperience:

• Teens are more likely than older drivers to underestimate or not be able to recognize dangerous situations.Teens are also more likely than adults to make critical errors that can lead to serious crashes.^10,11

Nighttime and Weekend Driving:

• Nighttime driving is riskier than daytime driving for drivers of all ages but is particularly dangerous for teen drivers.
• The fatal crash rate at night among teen drivers (ages 16–19 years) is about 3 times as high as that of adult drivers (ages 30–59 years) per mile driven.
• 44% of motor vehicle crash deaths among teens ages 13–19 occurred between 9 pm and 6 am, and 50% occurred on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday in 2020.

Not Using Seat Belts:

• Teens and young adults often do not consistently wear a seat belt.
  • Among teen drivers and passengers 16–19 years of age who were killed in car crashes in 2020, 56% were not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.
  • 43.1% of U.S. high school students did not always wear a seat belt when riding in a car driven by someone else in 2019.
  • Data from annual studies where researchers observe people’s seat belt use in cars indicate that seat belt use in the front seat among teens and young adults (16–24 years of age) is consistently lower than seat belt use among adults (25 years of age and older).

Distracted Driving:

• Distraction negatively affects driving performance for all drivers but can be especially dangerous for young, inexperienced drivers.
• In 2019, among U.S. high school students who drove, 39% texted or e-mailed while driving at least once during the prior 30 days.

Speeding:

• Teens are more likely than older drivers to speed and to allow shorter distances from the front of one vehicle to the front of the next. These risky driving behaviors appear to be worse when a male teenage passenger is present.
• 35% of male drivers and 18% of female drivers (ages 15–20 years) who were involved in fatal crashes were speeding at the time of the crash in 2020.

With our training, your young driver will have the techniques to keep them safe and alive on today’s roadways. We lose too many teens each year due to car crashes. We want to make an impact on teens to keep them safe and alive on the road.