Patrol to parents: Help teens drive safer

Submitted information

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death in teens, ahead of all other types of injury, disease or violence. As National Teen Driving Safety Week is October 16-22, it’s the perfect time for teens and their parents to discuss the dangers new drivers face so they can make safe and responsible decisions. Surveys show that teens whose parents set firm rules for driving typically engage in less risky driving behaviors and are involved in few crashes.

Young drivers who are 15 to 19 years old were involved in 15 percent of all traffic crashes in Ohio from 2013-2015. Of those crashes, a teen driver was at-fault 73 percent of the time. These crashes resulted in 271 fatalities and 40,505 injuries.

While crash causes may vary, speed-related factors contributed to a majority of the crashes caused by teens. Another 20 percent of crashes were brought about by failure to yield, running a red light or running a stop sign.

“Teen drivers need to realize that poor decisions while driving now can stay with them for the rest of their lives,” said Lt. Timothy Grigsby, Van Wert Post commander. “That is why responsibility, awareness and safety are so important for our youngest drivers.”

Teen drivers are encouraged to plan ahead when traveling in order to eliminate rushing from one location to another. They are also reminded that safety belts save lives and they should encourage everyone in their vehicle to buckle up, every time.

For a statistical map regarding teen drivers and a county-by-county breakdown of where Patrol citations have been issued, please visit http://statepatrol.ohio.gov/doc/TeenDrivers_Bulletin_2016.pdf