Teenage driving safety is crucial because motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death for teens. Young drivers often lack experience, and their risk-taking behaviors—such as speeding, distracted driving (especially from phones), and not wearing seatbelts—can increase the chances of accidents. Promoting driving safety helps protect not only teen drivers but also passengers and others on the road. Educating teens about safe driving habits and encouraging parental involvement are all essential strategies to reduce crash risks. Focusing on safety helps teens develop responsible driving habits that can last a lifetime.

The following link is a great resource for students and parents to learn about traffic safety: https://www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov/safety-topics/teen-driver-safety

 

Buckle Up. Every Trip. Every Time.

 

Remind People to Buckle Up

One of the safest choices drivers and passengers can make is to buckle up.

Buckle up all the time — for short trips and long trips, and in every seating position.

The right seat belt fit matters:

The shoulder belt should lay flat across the middle of your chest and away from your neck.

The lap belt should fit across your hips, not your stomach.

Never put the shoulder belt behind your back or under your arm.

Seat belts are the best defense against impaired, aggressive, and distracted drivers. Being buckled up during a crash helps keep you safe and secure inside your vehicle; the seat belt slows you down and spreads crash forces over the strongest parts of your body.

We have come a long way with increasing seat belt use over the years, but we still have a problem to address considering that seat belt use varies by time of day, seating position, and region of the United States.

Despite steady increases in observed seat belt use, approximately half of all passenger vehicle deaths are unrestrained.

Avoid the Consequences – Buckle Up

Buckling up helps keep you safe and secure inside your vehicle, whereas not buckling up can result in being totally ejected from the vehicle in a crash, which is almost always deadly.

Improperly wearing a seat belt, such as putting the strap below your arm, puts you and your children at risk in a crash.

Air bags are not enough to protect you; in fact, the force of an air bag can seriously injure or even kill you if you’re not buckled up.

For more information, visit www.nhtsa.gov/SeatBelts