Major Risks for Teen Drivers
Not Wearing a Seat Belt
When referring to seat belts, "properly worn" means with both straps snugly fitted to transfer the impact of the collision to the parts of your body that can take it - your hipbones and shoulder bones. With just the shoulder strap on, you can slide out from under the seat belt and be strangled, while the lap belt alone doesn't keep your face from hitting the steering wheel.
- Nationally in 2006, 4,848 teen passenger vehicle occupants aged 16-20 were killed in motor vehicle crashes and 58%, or 2,813, were unrestrained at the time of the fatal crash.
(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2006) - Teenage drivers and passengers are among those least likely to wear their seat belts.
(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2006) - In 2006, 64% of youth aged 15-20 who died in passenger vehicles were not wearing seat belts.
(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2006) - Of the 482 passenger vehicle occupant fatalities for teens 13-15 years-old for which restraint use was known, 313, or 65%, were unrestrained.
(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2006)