Understand the Facts & Risks

Every day, car crashes end more teen lives than cancer, homicide and suicide combined. And many of these teens are killed as passengers of other teen drivers. Research shows that riding with older siblings, teenage neighbors and siblings of friends increases your child’s risk of being in a crash. Even the best and brightest teens have increased risk of being involved in a deadly crash compared with drivers who have more experience.

You can make a difference. According to research, teens value the opinions of their parents most of all (even if it doesn’t always seem like it). That’s why understanding the facts and risks associated with driving and sharing your knowledge are so important during this process.

Fact: Car crashes kill teens. Based on miles driven, teens are involved in three times as many fatal crashes as all other drivers. Talk to your teen. Emphasize that driving is risky and should be taken seriously.

Now is the time to begin a potentially life-saving conversation with your teen. Understanding the risks and knowing the facts will help you to set rules, consistently enforce those rules and model safe and responsible driving. Don’t let the opportunity slip through your fingers. Your actions make a significant difference.

Now that you have the facts and understand the risks involved with teen drivers, AAA's Dare to Prepare online workshop helps you understand why teens crash:

Additional resources:

• Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) - Learn more about the process of GDL and what you can do to help your teen be prepared.
• DMV Practice Questions – Take this sample test to determine if you’re ready to take the state driving test..