A Parent’s Guide to Smart Teen Driving

Three statistics every Utahn parent should know:

In Utah, a teen driver crash occurs every 48 minutes.
Over 90 percent of teen crashes happen in the first few months of receiving a driver license.
Per mile driven, drivers ages 16-19 are nearly three times more likely to be in a fatal crash than drivers ages 20 and older.

The good news: Involved parents who set rules and monitor their teen’s driving behavior in a supportive way can cut their teen’s crash risk in half. In fact, according to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, teens whose parents are involved in their driving and training are:

To encourage increased parent involvement, Zero Fatalities partners with high school driver education programs to host Parent Nights. A Parent Night is a one hour evening presentation for driver ed students and their parents, where attendance is mandatory for both student and guardian. As you can imagine, some parents come grumbling, upset at having to sit in the school auditorium for an hour. However, they sing a different tune when they leave. Recently we received the following feedback from a grateful mother:

“I was at your Zero Fatalities presentation last night at Syracuse High with my daughter and I wanted to say thanks… and tell you what an impact your presentation had on me personally. I can admit I wasn’t looking forward to coming but I’m so grateful I did. I tend to not wear my seat belt and am often distracted in the car. This presentation, particularly the videos and stories you shared, were such an eye-opener for me. Aside from what I personally took away from the evening, as a mom who’s daughter is about to get her license (which scares me)… I’m grateful that you guys take the time to show this to our young kids, to drive home how serious driving is, or ought to be.”

Safe driving requires the effort of everyone on the road. During a Parent Night, presenters review valuable information on Graduated Driver’s License Laws and essential safe driving behavior. Zero Fatalities professional presenters layer in stories, video and statistics to empower parent and teen alike to become better drivers. The goal is to reach zero fatalities on our roadways.

The Parent Night presentation is free and Zero Fatalities is eager to be in every high school in Utah. If you have never attended a parent night, contact your school and request they call Zero Fatalities. For more teen safety information, visit dontdrivestupid.com or zerofatalities.com.