A Teenager driving an automobile is one of the most dangerous tasks they will undertake.  Simply put, more teens die from automobile accidents than from all other fatalities combined.  Over the last few years, vehicle safety has improved marginally, but potential distractions have multiplied exponentially.  Cell phones, MP3 players, Text messaging, PDA’s Navigation Systems and DVD players are just some of the things that can take attention away from the task of responsible driving.  Because teens have less experience driving, then tend to engage in driving behavior that their older and more experienced peers would not.

Education is an important tool in helping teens realize the risks involved in driving an automobile.  Even if the teen is a passenger, this knowledge can help them in recognizing potentially risky situations or behavior.

Some contributing factors:

Inexperience

Driver distraction

Excessive speed

Drowsy Driving

Add to these the fact that teens usually are driving less expensive, older automobiles, which are often less safe in a crash, and you have a potentially life threatening event.