PROGRAMS

Young Drivers

Overview

Car crashes are the leading cause of death and serious injury for young drivers in Washington.

Washington Teen Driver Safety Week

Since 2007, 140 16-19 year-olds have died on Washington roads and three times that many were injured. Most of those crashes are caused by the teen driver and involve speeding, drug/alcohol impairment, or inattention.

Because car crashes are the leading cause of death and injury for teens in Washington State, Governor Christine Gregoire declared October 18-24, 2009 “Teen Driver Safety Week.”

Information about Washington's Intermediate Driver License (IDL) law, a series of vignettes, teen driver statistics, resources and educational tools for parents and teens can be found on the Washington Teen Driver Safety Week Website.

Click It and Ticket Teen Seat Belt Project

Although Washington has one of the highest seat belt use rates in the country, teen drivers are part of a high-risk group that has the highest rate of seat belt non-use. The Click It and Ticket Teen Seat Belt Project is working to increase seat belt use among teen drivers and passengers.

Resource Information

Data Presentation: Young Drivers - Washington Data

Data Presentation: Young Drivers - Research and Solutions

Young Drivers Fact Sheet

National Teen Driving Safety Week News Release

Click It and Ticket News Release

Contact Information

Watch traffic safety educational videos and ads on YouTube. Visit www.youtube.com/trafficsafety

Washington State Department of Licensing Teen Driver Information

Centers for Disease Control’s Injury Center has a variety of new resources on teen driving including:

Teen Drivers: Fact Sheet

Keeping Kids Safe Behind the Wheel: Podcast

Three Words I Love to Hear from My 16-Year-Old: Director's View Blog

National Teen Driver Safety Week: MMWR Notice to Readers

Additional CDC Teen Driving Resources