Teen Driving

1. Teen drivers are _______ times more likely than older drivers to crash.

Per mile driven, teen drivers ages 16 to 19 are four times more likely than older drivers to be involved in a crash, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

2. What increases teen drivers’ risk for an accident?

According to research by the CDC, crash rates are highest during the first year a teen has a license. Distractions such as cell phones or fiddling with the radio increase teens’ risk for an accident. And having two or more teen passengers more than triples the risk of a fatal crash for teen drivers.

3. What percentage of teens say they never wear a seat belt?

Teens have the lowest seat belt use of any age group. According to the National Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance report, nearly 10 percent of high school students report they rarely or never wear a seat belt.

4. ‘GDL’ stands for:

GDL stands for graduated driving license, which gradually phases in driving privileges (such as driving with more than one passenger) for new teen drivers as they gain experience behind the wheel. All 50 states have some version of GDL. Learn about each state’s GDL.

5. Teens who say their parents set rules and monitor their activities in a helpful, supportive way are ____ less likely to drive drunk than other teens.

Parents play a key role in teen driving safety. Teens who say their parents set rules and monitor their activities in a helpful, supportive way are 71 percent less likely to drive drunk and half as likely to be in a crash, according to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute.