Safe Driving Tips: 6 Rules of the Road for Teen Drivers

Did you know that traffic crashes are a leading cause of death for teens 15 to 18 years old? According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 628 teen drivers died in crashes in 2019. In that same year, a total of 2,042 teen drivers were involved in crashes where someone died. That is why National Teen Driver Safety Week, which runs from October 17-23, is so important. Coastline Academy is bringing you six rules of the road for teen drivers to help promote safe driving because obeying the rules of the road is a must!

No Drinking and No Drugs

To start, it's illegal to drink before you are 21. Regardless of that, driving drunk or high is unacceptable at any age. For context purposes, 16% of teen drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2019 had been drinking.

No Distractions

When behind the wheel, the only thing the driver should be focusing on is driving. This means no phones, no texting and not doing anything else, like eating, drinking, putting on makeup or shaving, while driving. For teen drivers, about 10% of them involved in fatal crashes in recent years were distracted at the time of the crash. Most electronics have the "Do Not Disturb" feature, so turn that on while driving and help eliminate any distractions coming through.

Wear Seat Belts

Get in the car, put on your seat belts and then take off. Everyone in the car should be buckled up, including front seat and back seat! In 2019, almost half of the passengers killed in cars driven by teen drivers were not wearing a seat belt.

Drowsy Driving

We all know that sleep is important for teens, as the school year can get pretty hectic with everything going on and sleep sometimes gets put on the back burner. However, drowsy driving can be just as dangerous as drunk or drugged driving. The Sleep Foundation stated that experts believe almost 6,000 fatalities take place a year due to drowsy driving, or 21% of fatal crashes. To compare, drinking and driving caused 9,949 fatalities in 2017, or about 30% of fatal crashes. Remind teens of how important a good night's sleep is!

Limit Extra Passengers

We already mentioned no distractions as a rule, but this one is on top of that rule. Passengers can be that distraction for teen drivers, which is why many states limit the number of passengers allowed in the vehicle with a teen driver during the graduated driver licensing programs.

No Speeding

In 2019, about 27% of teen drivers involved in fatal crashes were speeding. When teen drivers are speeding, it lowers the amount of reaction time they have on the road, which is necessary to avoid a crash. Obeying the speed limit is crucial for everyone, but especially inexperienced teen drivers.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to our friendly support staff. If you want to start your driver's training journey with Coastline Academy, make sure to sign up for Drivers Ed and book your driving lesson today.