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Announcement: National Teen Driver Safety Week — October 16–22, 2016

Weekly / October 14, 2016 / 65(40);1119


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Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens in the United States. In 2014, a total of 2,450 teens and young adults aged 15–19 years died in motor vehicle crashes, and approximately 288,000 were treated in emergency departments or hospitalized for injuries (1). In the last decade, motor vehicle crash deaths and injuries among teens decreased significantly (1); however, projections for 2015 data indicate a 10% increase in fatalities among persons aged 15–20 years (2).

The 2016 National Teen Driver Safety Week will be observed October 16–22, 2016. This year’s theme, “Talk to Your Teen About the ‘5 to Drive,’” encourages families to agree upon the rules to address driving risks for teens, including alcohol use, not using seat belts, distracted driving, speeding, and teen passengers (3).

According to teens, parents can have the most influence on driving habits by demonstrating skills and setting limits (4). Parent-imposed rules and limits can reduce the risk for teens being involved in a crash or other negative driving outcomes (4,5). Online resources are available to help parents in supervising their new driver and monitoring and reinforcing the “rules of the road” as their teen begins driving independently. A Parent-Teen Driving Agreement (http://www.cdc.gov/parentsarethekey/parents) puts these rules in writing to set clear expectations and limits.

Additional information on National Teen Driver Safety Week available at https://www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov/teens.

Additional information on safe teen driving is available at the following websites: http://www.cdc.gov/MotorVehicleSafety/Teen_Drivers/teendrivers_factsheet.html; http://www.cdc.gov/parentsarethekey/danger/index.html; http://www.teendriversource.org/; and http://www.nhtsa.gov/Driving+Safety/Teen+Drivers.

References

  1. CDC. Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, CDC; 2016. http://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/index.html
  2. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Early estimate of motor vehicle traffic fatalities for 2015. Report No. DOT HS 812 269. Washington, DC: US Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, National Center for Statistics and Analysis; 2016. https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov
  3. Marketing TS. National Teen Driver Safety Week: October 16–22, 2016. Washington, DC: US Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Traffic Safety Marketing; 2016. https://www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov/teens
  4. Moreno M. Teen driving. JAMA Pediatr 2014;168:592. CrossRef PubMed
  5. Simons-Morton B, Hartos JL, Leaf WA, Preusser DF. Do recommended driving limits affect teen-reported traffic violations and crashes during the first 12 months of independent driving? Traffic Inj Prev 2006;7:238–47. CrossRef PubMed

Suggested citation for this article: Announcement: National Teen Driver Safety Week — October 16–22, 2016. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2016;65:1119. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6540a7.

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