Injury Prevention Issues & Topics of Interest:
Safe Teen Driving

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 19. Of the approximate 7,500 children killed annually in motor vehicle crashes in the United States, 6,000 of them are teenagers. The crash rate per mile driven for 16-19 year-olds is 4 times higher than the risk for older drivers. Certain risky situations for teens include: driving at night, teenage passengers, alcohol and drugs, inexperience, distractions, and poor restraint use. The implementation of Graduated Driver’s Licensing (GDL) has caused a 16-21% reduction in fatal crashes among 16 year old drivers.

The following documents provide some basic background information on teen driving injury prevention.

Parent's Safety Checklist

• Teen Vehicle Injury Prevention Checklist for Teens (PDF)
• Teen Vehicle Injury Prevention Checklist for Parents (PDF)

Links of Interest

• National Safety Council Teen Driver
• CDC Injury Center: Teens Behind the Wheel

Source/Contact Information
Dr. Mary Aitken
aitkenmary@uams.edu

Hope Mullins
mullinssamanthah@uams.edu

Safe Teen Driving Links