Teen Drivers with Teen Passengers Have a Higher Risk of Fatality

In Texas, drivers in training must complete a minimum of seven hours of observation time in the car with an instructor and another seven hours behind the wheel. This may not be enough to keep teen drivers safe once they have their licenses and are on the road when they have at least one other teen in the car. According to a study by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI), teen drivers between the ages of 15 and 17 have fatal crashes with teen-age passengers about eight times more frequently than young adults between 18 and 24 years old with teens in the car. The study found that the risk of a fatal crash rises sharply with each additional teen passenger in the car.

Distracted driving impacts younger drivers for two main reasons – because they have less experience behind the wheel and because their brains are still not fully developed. According to TTI, the portion of the brain responsible for making decisions and understanding the consequences of poor judgment is not fully developed until about age 25.

There are several ways that parents of teens can help their children to be more responsible drivers without the distractions associated with teen passengers.

• Limit the number of passengers allowed in the vehicle, especially teen-agers.
• Remind teens that drivers and passengers are required to wear seat belts during the operation of a vehicle. The state of Texas enforces fines of $250 for unbelted drivers and up to $200 for unbelted passengers, depending on their age.
• Encourage newly licensed drivers to keep building skills. A course teaching defensive driving online in Texas can increase awareness and help young drivers reduce risk.
• Have your child measure and learn the dimensions of the vehicle they will be driving most often to minimize the chances of finding out by hitting other vehicles.
• Practice smooth starts, stops and lane changes while an experienced adult driver is in the car.

To learn more about teen driver safety and defensive driving in Texas, contact Teas Drive Safe at 1-800-558-9887.