Want to know the greatest threat to today’s youth? Look no further than your driveway. Car crashes are the number one cause of death among teens, killing 4,054 teenagers ages 13 to 19 in 2008.
Tons of metal- combined with inexperience and distractions- can be deadly. Now, studies have confirmed a connection between teen drivers transporting peer passengers and an increased online drugs without a prescription risk of fatal crashes.
In fact, adding just one passenger doubles the fatal crash risk for a teen driver. And although the risk of a crash increases with each additional passenger, recent research shows that few teens recognize the impact passengers have on driver safety.
To combat this trend, TxDOT is promoting safe teen driver and passenger behaviors during National Teen Driver Safety Week, October 17 to 23. Throughout the campaign, law enforcement officers will continue to enforce traffic laws for everyone, especially teens.
“Teens can help friends who are driving by keeping distractions to a minimum, helping with directions when asked and wearing seatbelts,” said Irene Webster, TxDOT Traffic Safety Specialist. “We encourage teens to use positive peer pressure to persuade each other to buckle up, given than teens have the lowest seat belt use of any age group. In Texas from 2003 to 2008, 52 percent of teens killed in car crashes were not buckled up,” she said.
Other research has shown that simple “rookie” mistakes or driver error attributed to inexperience are a major cause of teen crashes.
This year’s National Teen Driver acomplia phentermine Safety Week is addressing the risk of teens driving teens. The “Ride Like a Friend” campaign is being rolled out in schools nationwide to encourage passenger behaviors that can reduce the crash risk for teens. More information for parents is available at www.raisingsafedrivers.com. Teens can find tips on how to “Ride Like a Friend” at www.ridelikeafriend.com.


On Thursday, July 1, the City of Tyler Traffic Engineering Department will be turning off the traffic signal at Front Street and Wildwood Drive. Tyler Independent School District (TISD) is relocating Jones Elementary
