Likely due to the recovering economy, more and more teens are getting their license at an earlier age, according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. Because of the increase of young drivers nationwide, teen driver safety is more important than ever.
Since 2012, there’s been an 11% increase in the number of young drivers who received their license before the age of 18. Data shows that 60% of people aged 18 to 24 received their license before the age of 18 and 41% at or before the age of 16.
Teen Drivers in Idaho
Research also shows that teens who live in rural areas tend to get their license earlier than those who live in urban areas. In Idaho alone, there are about 71,000 teens driving on the road. Numbers from the Idaho Transportation Department show that licensed drivers ages 15 to 19 jumped more than 8% between 2016 and 2017.
Recently AAA Idaho teamed up with the Idaho Transportation Department and the Boise Police Department to produce an educational video. This covers what teens should do during a routine traffic stop.
Teen Driver Safety Resources
AAA Idaho Public Affairs Director, Matthew Conde, stresses the importance of educating young drivers. “As we help teens overcome inexperience, they can have a long and successful driving career,” Conde said. “Parents have got to stay involved in the driver education process, even after their teen receives a license.”
Continuing to chat with your family about teen driver safety is vital to preventing accidents. The more educated our young drivers are, the less tragedies happen on the road. Teens should always be prepared to READ the road:
R: Right speed, for right now
E: Eyes up, brain on
A: Anticipate other drivers’ next move
D: Donut of space around your vehicle.
AAA has put together great resources for families, including webinars, workshops, and interactive simulations. You can find these, and more resources, at teendriving.aaa.com.