Guest commentary: Deadly teen auto crashes show a pattern

Recently, three local teenagers were killed as a result of vehicle crashes. The lives of those they leave behind have been changed forever.

Unfortunately, this tragedy is all too common for our area. During 2008, four teens were killed in traffic crashes in Okaloosa and Walton Counties.

On an average day in the USA, 10 teenagers are killed in teen-driven vehicles. This is a death toll that tops that of any disease or injury for teens.

What parents should know about teen drivers:

• A 16-year-old at the wheel has a higher rate of involvement in fatal crashes. A 16-year-old makes driving errors, exceeds speed limits, runs off roads and rolls his or her vehicle over at higher rates than older drivers.

• They’re riding with other teens. Forty percent of 16-year-old drivers involved in deadly single-vehicle crashes in 2003 had one or more teen passengers. Teens’ risk of dying nearly doubles with the addition of one male passenger, the insurance institute says. The risk more than doubles with two or more young men in the car.

• They’re in teen-driven cars after dark. Teen drivers are three times as likely as drivers 20 and older to be involved in fatal crashes between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m., the institute says, and 16-year-olds die at night at twice the rate as in the daytime.

• The young driver loses control. Driver error is involved in 77 percent of fatal crashes involving 16-year-old drivers but in less than 60 percent of crashes with drivers 20 and older. About a third of all 16-year-old drivers and a quarter of 17-to-19-year-old drivers involved in fatal crashes rolled their vehicles. Rollovers often occur when a driver overcorrects and runs off the road. Inexperienced teens are most likely to do so.

• They’re in an unsuitable vehicle. Because they’re in the age group most likely to be involved in a crash, teens should occupy vehicles least likely to roll and most protective when they crash, highway safety experts say. Yet teens often wind up in small cars that are especially vulnerable when hit by larger vehicles.

• They drive in more dangerous regions. Eight of the 10 states with the highest teen-driver fatal crash-involvement rates are in the South.

What can parents do?

Know the risks. Do not allow your teen to ride in a vehicle with another teen if at all possible. Have your teen sign a driving safety contract. Establish an early curfew for your teen to be home. Ensure your teen driver has the driving experience necessary to operate a vehicle safely.
For additional information about teen driving safety and available local resources, please visit www.safedriveschools.org.