According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the risk of motor vehicle crashes is higher among 16-19-year-olds than among any other age group. In fact, per mile driven, teen drivers ages 16 to 19 are nearly three times more likely than drivers aged 20 and older to be in a fatal crash.
Among teen drivers, those at especially high risk for motor vehicle crashes are:
The adolescence years include some big changes for teenagers. These changes include physical, mental, and behavioral health. Every young person goes through these stages in life. The injury prevention department at Dartmouth-Hitchcock recognizes these changes and wants to promote the healthy development while recognizing certain impulses that adolescence may have behind the wheel of a motor vehicle.
We recognize that It is normal for teenagers to push boundaries and take risks. Teenage risk taking is an important part of their journey in finding their identities and becoming independent young adults. During adolescence there are changes in the brain that make teenagers more focused on the reward they feel when they are admired by their friends, and the positive reinforcement they get by being included.
Our role is to help provide information towards ways of staying safe while in the risk taking stages.
Here are some ways you can stay safe while driving or being a passenger in a car...
Resource Link: HealthyChildren.org
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