A recently published study by AAA says teen drivers who have teen passengers in the car with them increase their chances of a crash becoming deadly for everyone involved by 51 percent.
In 2016, teen drivers were involved in more than 1-million reported crashes resulting in thousands of deaths.
Researchers were able to determine when teen drivers have teen passengers in a vehicle fatality rates jump by the following.
- 56 percent for passengers in the other vehicle
- 45 percent for the teen driver
- 17 percent for pedestrians and cyclists
Officials with AAA recommend parents spend as much time as possible behind the wheel with students as they prepare to hit the roads on their own.
Below are a few other tips AAA officials recommend for parents with teen drivers.
- Require teens to log at least 100 hours of supervised practice driving with a parent before driving solo
- Begin by driving in low risk situations and gradually move to situations that are more complex
- Allow no more than one non-family passenger under the age of 20 to ride with the teen driver during the first six months of driving
- Use slightly different driving routes each practice session
- Practice adjusting speed based on three factors: visibility, on-road traffic and different roads
To help avoid deadly crashes involving teens, the Tucson Police Department began a program called S.T.A.R.T.
S.T.A.R.T or Safe Teen Accident Reduction Program is a program dedicated to providing teens with critical information on decision-making, judgment, and basic motor vehicle skills.
The classes are taught by Tucson Police officers and run between September and May.
You can find more information on the classes here.
