(Denison) January focuses heavily on teen safety and development, with National Teen Driving Awareness Month. Iowa State Patrol Trooper and District #4 Public Information Officer Shelby McCreedy says nationally, traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for 15–18-year-olds. She says in the state of Iowa, there is an increase in fatal crashes involving teen drivers. Trooper McCreedy says educating teens about safe driving practices starts with the parents or guardians.
McCreedy says, for example, that front- and backseat passengers need to be belted, even though the law does not require backseat passengers over the age of 18 to use them; buckle up anyway to make it the safest environment possible. McCreedy says eliminate distractions, put the phone down, and do not eat behind the wheel of a car.
Trooper McCreedy says teen drivers should limit the number of passengers in the vehicle. She says passengers are the number one fatal distraction behind the wheel of a car for teen drivers. McCreedy says the odds of a deadly crash increase significantly the more people there are in the vehicle.
Reckless driving is the leading cause of death among teenage drivers, causing 77 percent of fatalities. Speeding is the next deadliest at 38 percent. Surprisingly, alcohol only plays a role in less than 25 percent of teen fatalities.
