Parents Urged to Discuss Safe Driving For National Teen Driver Safety Week

If you have a teen driver in your home this is the week you're urged to speak with them about safe driving. This is National Teen Driver Safety Week.

MORE TEENS GET IN DEADLY CRASHES

Yakima Police say new teen drivers ages 16-17 years old are three times as likely as adults to be involved in a deadly crash, according to research from the AAA foundation for traffic safety. Over the past five years, more than 1,600 people were killed in crashes involving inexperienced teen drivers.

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A LOT OF KIDS ARE TALKING ON THE PHONE AND TEXTING

AAA says 7,038 people died in crashes involving teen drivers from 2010 to 2019 during the “100 Deadliest Days” between Memorial Day and Labor Day. And, according to Travelers Insurance 2021 Risk Index on Distracted Driving, more respondents reported using their mobile devices in unsafe ways while driving than in previous years. That means more and more drivers will be distracted on the road.

TEENS AREN'T THE ONLY DRIVERS ON THE PHONE

Cell phones remain the greatest source of distraction, with two of every three distracted drivers in Washington observed either using or talking on a hand-held phone. The observational study also found slightly more people distracted on city streets than county roads or state routes. Yakima Police say distracted drivers and drivers not paying attention to traffic lights and signs are the things that lead to a lot of crashes in the city of Yakima.

MORE AND MORE FATAL CRASHES INVOLVE DISTRACTED DRIVING

State officials say 30% of all fatal crashes still involve a distracted driver. 23% of all serious crashes are due to distracted drivers and 70% were found to be using cell phones.
Yakima Police Chief Shawn Boyle says the aim with emphasis patrols is educational but he says some drivers are being cited for breaking traffic laws.