Teen Crash Risk Highest in First 3 Months


Is your teen driver on a highway to the danger zone? While they may not be driving at Top Gun speeds, driving can be risky business for teen drivers. 

Here are the top danger zones for teen drivers:

  1. Driver inexperience

  2. Driving with teen passengers

  3. Night time driving

  4. Not using seatbelts

  5. Distracted driving

  6. Drowsy Driving

  7. Reckless driving

  8. Impared driving

Keep reading to learn more about the eight danger zones for teen drivers, how to teach your teen driver to avoid them, and whether you can spot another reference to a Tom Cruise movie.

The 8 Danger Zones for Teen Drivers

Teen drivers are at higher risk of getting in a car accident simply because they are beginners.  This lack of experience combined with any other type of risky behavior further increase the risk of teen drivers getting in a car crash. No one wants to think about their child being in an accident. But if you can talk to your kids about how to avoid the danger zones, you can reduce the likelihood of them getting in a car accident. 

Following is a list of the danger zones to watch out for and what parents can do to address them.

Driver Inexperience 

Inexperienced drivers get in more accidents than experienced drivers. This might seem like common sense, but there is actual data to back it up. One study found that teen drivers get into accidents 10 times more often than adult drivers. The difference was attributed to a lack of experience. Research reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) concludes that “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 decision errors that can lead to serious crashes.”

What parents can do:

  • Practice, practice, practice with your teen when they are learning to drive. The CDC recommends at least 30 to 50 hours of supervised driving practice over at least six months. Make sure you practice on all types of roads and in all kinds of conditions. This is a great reason for teens to take drivers ed at 16 or 17 as opposed to waiting until they are 18+ and out of the house. Parents are typically required to do lots of driving practice with teen drivers. Adults getting their license for the first time are not required to do as much driving practice (if any at all).  

  • Teach your teen driver to continually scan for hazards such as other cars, cyclists, and pedestrians. 

Driving with Teen Passengers

Your teen is more likely to get into an accident if there are other teens in the car. 

What parents can do:

  • Create rules around how many passengers your teen can have in the car. Explain the “why” behind the rules. Teach your teen driver that having more teens in the car puts them at higher risk for getting in an accident. You are not trying to be a killjoy. You are trying to keep them safe.

  • Learn what the graduated licensing laws are in your state. Many states have laws that limit the number of drivers a teen can have in their car. Again, explaining why this law exists will help motivate your teen to uphold it.

Nighttime Driving

Driving at night increases anyone’s chances of being in a fatal accident, no matter howold they are. However, teen drivers have an increased risk of getting in an accident at night. 

What parents can do:

  • Practice driving at night with your teen.

  • Limit the amount of nighttime driving your teen is allowed to do in the first few months they have their license. The CDC recommends requiring your teen to be off the road by 9 or 10 pm for the first six months they have their license.

Not Using Seat Belts

A 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey conducted by the CDC, found that 43% of U.S. high school students did not always wear a seat belt. Inexperienced drivers are already at greater risk of getting into a car accident. Not wearing a seat belt increases the risks for teen drivers. All drivers and passengers need to wear a seat belt all the time.

What parents can do:

  • Make it a rule that your teen must wear a seat belt every time they get in the car. Set a good example and always buckle up. 

  • Make sure everyone is on the same page. Here’s that parent-teen driving contract that you can use to ensure your teen knows what your expectations are.

Distracted Driving

Data from the 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey showed that, among students who had driven a car or other vehicle during the 30 days before the survey, 39% texted or emailed at least once. Texting takes your eyes off the road for 5 seconds, which is like driving the length of a football field with your eyes closed. It’s no wonder distracted driving was the cause of 3,142 deaths in 2020. Anything that takes a teen driver’s attention away from driving is going to increase their risk of getting in an accident. Be sure to review your states distracted laws with your teen driver.

What parents can do:

  • Remember, your teen is watching you. Be a good role model and keep your eyes and attention on the road at all times.

  • Make sure your teen knows the dangers of distracted driving. Use the parent-teen driving contract to ensure they understand you are not kidding around when it comes to distracted driving. Do not be afraid to enforce consequences if they break this rule. Better for your teen to lose driving privileges temporarily than to get in an accident.

Drowsy Driving

Anyone who has ever lived with a teen knows they are champion sleepers. Their bodies are growing so fast, and all that growing makes a person sleepy. But being sleepy and driving don’t mix. According to the NHTSA, drowsy driving was the cause of 633 deaths in 2020.

What parents can do:

  •  If your teen seems sleepy, offer to give them a ride while they snooze in the passenger seat.

  • Impress upon your teen what a serious responsibility driving is. Driving requires the their  full attention and alertness. Make sure they understand that getting behind the wheel when they’re sleepy increases their risk of getting in an accident.  

Reckless Driving

Teens do lots of things we don’t understand. Their brains are still developing and they sometimes don’t make great choices because they are part kid/part adult. With this in mind, it’s really important to emphasize the importance of following ALL the traffic laws. Make sure your teen understands that they should never speed, and they should always look both ways at a stop sign, slow down to a stop at a yellow light, watch out for pedestrians at intersections, and check for cyclists before turning or changing lanes. These are non-negotiable driving practices that will keep your teen and others safe. 

What parents can do:

  • Ensure your teen is aware of and following all the traffic laws. Talk about safe driving practices frequently. Model these practices when you are driving.

  • Sign your teen up for a defensive driving course. Taking defensive driving is a great way to make sure your teen knows what the traffic laws are and why it’s important to follow them. And you might get a discount on your insurance as a bonus!

Impaired Driving

Five percent of teens who participated in the 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey said they drove after drinking alcohol at least once in the previous 30 days, and 17% admitted to riding with a drinking driver in the previous 30 days. Oof. Twenty-nine people die as a result of an alcohol-impaired driver every day. Make sure your teen knows that even small amounts of alcohol can impair their ability to drive. Many teens don’t realize that marijuana, over-the-counter drugs, and prescription drugs also impair their driving. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) reports that “more than 9% of drivers ages 16-20 admit to having driven under the influence of marijuana.” There is a misconception that marijuana does not impair driving. The AAP strongly advises against the use of marijuana for those under the age of 21 and says it adds to the crash risk, especially for teens.

What parents can do:

  • Make sure your teen understands that they should NEVER drive if they are impaired for any reason, and they should never ride with anyone who is impaired. The parent-teen driving contract enables you to set this expectation and hold your teen accountable.

  • Impaired driving is illegal. Emphasize the grave consequences of driving while impaired.

  • Let your kids know you will pick them up, no questions asked, if they ever need a ride.

  • Be the adult you want your kids to be. Never drive when you are impaired and never let other adults drive your child if they have been drinking or are impaired in any way.

How to Keep Teen Drivers Safe

Believe it or not, you are the biggest influence on your child’s driving choices. If talking to your teen about safe driving feels like Mission Impossible, here are a few ideas to try:

  • Build off of the energy of National Teen Driver Safety Week (October 16 - 22, 2022). This is a whole campaign aimed at making teens safer drivers. There are some great free resources you can use to get the conversation started with your teen. 

  • Consider having some tough conversations with your teen before they get on the road around drinking, ground rules for driving, and even sharing some of your driving stories.

  • Sign up for defensive driving! You and your teen can both benefit from a refresh of the latest recommendations for staying safe on the road. And your bank account may also benefit from the insurance savings!

Have a teen driver? Keep them safe and save money!

Sign up for defensive driving today!

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Elizabeth McBride

Updated 10/20/22