National Teen Driver Safety Week 2025 calls attention to teen driving dangers
The 2025 National Teen Driver Safety Week runs from October 19th – 25th. This week (and every week!) parents should have conversations with their teens about the important rules they need to follow to stay safe behind the wheel of a motor vehicle. These rules address the greatest dangers for teen drivers: alcohol, inconsistent or no seat belt use, distracted and drowsy driving, speeding, and number of passengers.
In addition, the 2025 National Teen Driver Safety Week is also an ideal opportunity for parents, educators, and teen drivers to join forces to raise awareness of teen driver risks and to seek critical solutions.
A serious issue with life-saving lessons
Now in its 19th year, National Teen Driver Safety Week was established in 2006 to help teen young drivers establish safe driving habits that last a lifetime. Think teen driving isn’t a serious issue? Think again. The statistics tell a sobering story.
- Motor vehicle crashes remain one of the leading causes of death for teens aged 16 -18 in the United States.
- The first year of solo driving is the most dangerous – novice teen drivers are twice as likely as adults to be involved in a fatal crash.
- Passengers can be a major distraction. Nine out of ten teens say passenger behavior takes their attention off the road, and having passengers makes a teen driver 8 times more likely to crash.
- Speeding contributes to one in every three teen driver crashes.
- Nighttime driving is especially risky – teens are three times more likely to crash at night than during the day.
2025 National Teen Driver Safety Week focuses
on solutions
The 2025 National Teen Driver Safety Week isn’t just about identifying the risks young drivers face – it’s about finding real, lasting solutions. By understanding the causes of crashes and promoting responsible habits, parents, educators, and communities can help keep teen drivers safe not only during this special week, but every day of the year.
Below are some of the most common issues facing teen drivers – and the solutions that can make a life-saving difference.
Teen Driver Dangers
These are the biggest dangers teen drivers face on the road:
- Immaturity and inexperience
- Inconsistent or no seat belt use
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- Speeding
- Extra passengers
- Distracted driving
- Drowsy driving
Solutions for Teen Drivers
If you’re a teen driver, here are a few tips from Drive Smart Georgia to keep be safe on the road during 2025 National Teen Driver Safety Week…and beyond!
Buckle Up!
It’s the law in all 50 states. Before even putting the key in the ignition, make sure your seat belt is fastened. Plus, make sure all your passengers are buckled up too. Seat belts reduce serious crash-related injuries and deaths by about half.
Make Adjustments
Adjust your mirrors to minimize blind spots, clean your windshield, and turn off the phone. Plus, don’t forget to adjust your headrest to a height behind your head – not your neck – to minimize whiplash in case you’re in an accident.
Be a courteous driver
Be a courteous driver by signaling properly, avoid tailgating other cars, and obeying all road rules.
Peer Passengers
People tend to think that your biggest driving distraction is a cell phone. It isn’t (but it’s certainly dangerous). The biggest distraction is peer passengers. Joshua’s Law allows no peer passengers for the six months. During the second six months, you can have just one peer passenger in the car with you. After one year, a teen driver in Georgia can have no more than three other passengers.
Put the phone in the glove box
Teen drivers (and adults too!) simply cannot multi-task while behind the wheel. So, turn your phone’s ringer off and put it in the glove box.
Learn from mistakes
As with anything else in life, practice makes perfect. When you make a mistake, adjust your behavior and “learn your lesson.” Learning to drive doesn’t happen in just a few months. It’s a skill that must be honed and perfected over time.
Solutions for Concerned Parents
If you’re the nervous parent or guardian of a new driver, here are a few tips to help your teen stay safe on the road.
Start the Conversation Early
Talk to your teens about safe driving early and often before they reach driving age. But don’t stop there. Have conversations with the parents of your teen’s peers or friends and compare notes – both are key to your teen’s safety.
Get It in Writing
When your teenagers begin driving, we recommend you set ground rules and outline the consequences for breaking them in a parent-teen contract like AAA’s Parent-Teen Driving Contract. Consider displaying your contract by the family car keys or near the front door.
Spell Out the Rules
No cell phones, no passengers, no speeding, no alcohol, no driving when tired, and always buckle up. These rules could help save your teen’s life.
Enroll in a AAA-approved Driver’s Education program
Driver education programs, like those offered at Drive Smart Georgia help teach teen drivers the rules of the road. After taking the 30-hour course required by Joshua’s Law, the students then hit the road to apply what they learned in class. This one-two punch has been successful in teaching teens lifelong good driving habits.
Consider registering your teen for a Defensive Driving Course
The benefits of taking a Defensive Driving course include improved awareness and hazard recognition, better decision-making skills, reduced risk of accidents, and insurance discounts.
CLICK HERE to learn more about Defensive Driving at Drive Smart Georgia.
Our best piece of advice: Set a good example
2025 National Teen Driver Safety Week is the perfect time to start talking about teen driver safety. Don’t let your child become a statistic.
Parents should pledge to be the driver they want their teen to become. Your children learn by watching YOU. Parents influence their teen’s driving habits more than anyone else.
The lessons – both good and bad – begin early and don’t stop. Set a good example by not speeding, wearing a seat belt, avoiding distractions, and being a courteous, responsible driver. Your teen will follow in your footsteps.
Practice Makes Safe: Building Strong Driving Habits Takes Time
As with anything in life, practice makes perfect – and driving is no exception. Every time you get behind the wheel, you’re building skills, confidence, and awareness. When you make a mistake, take it as an opportunity to adjust your behavior and learn your lesson.
Learning to drive safely doesn’t happen overnight or even in a few months. It’s a skill that requires patience, consistent practice, and real-world experience. Over time, those small lessons add up – helping teen drivers develop the good habits that keep themselves and others safe on the road.
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Related articles:
- What is a Georgia Driver’s Ed scholarship?
- What to expect during Driver’s Ed classes
- Defensive driving is now available at Drive Smart Georgia
