CDC Features

CDC Features

Keep Teen Drivers Safe on the Road

Learning to drive is one of life's milestones. Parents can encourage teen driver safety all the time, throughout the year. This June—during National Safety Month— learn how you can make a life-saving difference by keeping teen drivers safe on the road.

Know Teen Drivers' Risks

Photo: A father handing the car keys to his son. Parents are concerned about protecting their teen's health and safety. But not all parents realize that motor vehicle crashes prevent thousands of teens from reaching their full potential:

In 2006, 3,490 young people ages 15 to 20—an average of more than nine a day—died in motor vehicle crashes, and another 272,000 were injured.

Overall, younger drivers lack experience on the roads and are less likely than older drivers to recognize risky situations. While lack of experience increases teens' crash risk, so does driving with teen passengers without adult supervision. As the number of teen passengers goes up, so does the risk of a crash.

Fortunately, there are proven ways to reduce teen drivers' risk on the roads. Graduated driver licensing (GDL) systems, combined with parental management, can make your teen a safer driver.

Remember, as a parent, you make the rules about your child's driving. You can help enforce laws and rules:

Know—and make sure your teen knows—that no alcohol is the law for young drivers.

Know How GDL Works

Graphic: Map of United States GDL laws differ by state, but the primary goal and format is the same across the country. Graduated licensing is a three-step process developed to let new teen drivers get their initial experience under low-risk driving conditions.

Find state-specific information on your GDL laws.

Typically, the three stages of GDL are:

A minimum supervised learner's period
An intermediate license (once the driving test is passed) that limits unsupervised driving under high-risk conditions, such as night-driving or driving with other teen passengers
A full-privilege driver's license after completion of the previous stages.

GDL programs are designed to improve teens' safety and reduce their crash risk. Research has shown that the most comprehensive GDL systems are associated with motor-vehicle crash reductions of up to 40%.

Parents Matter

Photo: A teen learning to drive. GDL laws are an important part of teen driver safety, but parents also need to be involved.

As a parent, you are key in influencing your teen's driving behavior. You are a driving teacher, supervisor and role model. You make the rules about when, where, and with whom your teen can drive. You can also help reinforce important messages and rules about using seatbelts and not using alcohol. Know how much you matter.