PennDOT Reminds Young Drivers to Practice Safe Driving Behavior

HARRISBURG – As more teenagers take to the road during summer vacation, PennDOT reminds young drivers to practice safe driving techniques by avoiding behaviors that cause most crashes involving 16- to 19-year-olds.

“Driving is a very complex activity,” PennDOT Secretary Allen D. Biehler P.E. said. “Driving requires evaluating many factors occurring simultaneously, split-second decision making and performing intricate maneuvers. These, combined with a young driver’s lack of experience and risk-taking behavior, create a potentially dangerous mix.”

Traffic crashes remain the leading cause of death for 16- to 19-year-old drivers in Pennsylvania and across the nation. In 2007, there were 241 fatalities and 24,882 crashes involving drivers in this age group.

“Crashes involving 16- to 19-year-old drivers have decreased in Pennsylvania in recent years, but more needs to be done to help these young drivers appreciate the complexity of driving,” Biehler said.

Some key factors in the crash statistics for young drivers include driver inexperience, driving too fast for conditions and over- or under-compensating when negotiating curves. Although more than one factor may contribute to a crash, statistics show 46 percent of the 2007 total crashes among 16- to 19-year-old drivers involved at least one of these factors. The risk of a crash involving these factors can be reduced through practice, adhering to warning signs and laws and exercising common sense.

Additionally, distractions that take a young driver’s attention from the road, such as using a cell phone, other teen passengers in the vehicle or adjusting the radio, contributed to 5,329 young-driver crashes in 2007.

With this in mind, PennDOT offers the following safety tips to young drivers:
• Always wear your seat belt.
• Don’t talk or text on your cell phone while driving.
• Don’t eat or drink while driving.
• Obey the speed limit. Going too fast gives you less time to react.
• Adjust radio and climate controls before beginning your trip, have your passenger adjust the controls for you or pull over to a safe place to adjust the controls.
• If you cannot see a truck’s mirrors, the truck driver cannot see you.
• Expect the unexpected. You never know what can happen.

PennDOT also reminds parents and guardians that adult supervision and teaching through setting a positive example are critical to keeping young drivers safe. A more experienced driver has the ability to better assess an inexperienced driver’s knowledge, skills and maturity. Remember to ride occasionally with your young driver to assess his or her skills and:
• Share driving experience and driving tips with them.
• Limit the number of passengers they are allowed to have in their vehicle.
• Enforce a curfew.
• Do not allow them to eat or drink while driving.
• Do not allow them to use a cell phone while driving.
• Enforce observance of speed limits and other rules of the road.

For more tips for young drivers and parents, or to download the Pennsylvania Driver’s Manual, visit here and click on the “Teen Driver’s Info Center” link.