BOISE – It’s National Teen Driver Safety Week, and AAA is sharing tips to help young drivers stay safe behind the wheel.

The Idaho Transportation Department reported that last year, teens were more than twice as likely to be involved in a fatal or serious injury crash than any other age group, given their population size.

“Roads are busy and dynamic places, with drivers sharing the road with heavy trucks, buses, bicyclists, pedestrians, and other passenger vehicles.  Youthful inexperience adds more complexity to the equation,” says AAA Idaho public affairs director Matthew Conde.  “Learning can’t end when a novice driver gets their license.  Continuing education makes all the difference.”

Idaho crashes involving a teen driver (2023) – ITD data

  • Total crashes – 6,062 (+2.8% from previous year)
  • Fatalities – 40 (+60%)
  • Suspected serious injury – 208 (-14.8%)
  • Suspected minor injury – 1,070 (+1.8%)

There is some good news on the national level; NHTSA reports that from 2021 to 2022, young drivers who died in traffic crashes decreased by 5%, while injuries among teen drivers fell by 11%.

Young male drivers were more than twice as likely to be involved in a fatal crash when compared to female drivers (58.73 per 100,000 drivers vs. 22.74 per 100,000).

“Parents have a critical role in teaching their young drivers,” Conde said.  “Please have safe driving conversations early and often – a casual approach may have serious consequences.”

Advice for parents

  • Give specific and timely compliments when your teen drives well.  Practice positive reinforcement.
  • Remind teens that a seat belt is their last line of defense during a crash, and to never drive or transport others without one.
  • Teach them to ditch the distractions by putting their phone in “do not disturb” mode while driving, or by delegating texting, navigating, and other communication to a passenger.
  • Emphasize driving the speed limit to increase reaction time and to reduce impact speeds.
  • Encourage your teen to get at least seven hours of sleep each night to avoid drowsy driving.
  • Limit the number of passengers.

“One of the best tools at a parent’s disposal is a written driving agreement that spells out clear consequences for unsafe behavior,” Conde said.  “If dangerous actions result in parents keeping the keys for a while, It helps underscore that driving is a privilege.”

For more AAA resources on teen driver safety, please visit https://exchange.aaa.com/safety/teen-driver-safety/.