The “5 to Drive” campaign highlights the five necessary rules that teen drivers need to follow to stay safe behind the wheel.
Florida has more than 800,000 registered teen drivers. In 2023, there were 80,300 teen vehicle crashes. According to FLHSMV, 111 teen drivers ages 15-19 years old were involved in fatal crashes and 68 teen passenger fatalities.
Parents are the biggest influence on their teen’s safety behind the wheel. Parents need to take the time to talk with their kids about the many dangers of driving. Those dangers include:
- Alcohol: Teen drivers are at a greater risk of death in alcohol related crashes compared to drivers in all other age groups, even though they’re too young to legally buy or consume alcohol. In 2023, 29% of drivers ages 15–20 who were killed in motor vehicle crashes had been drinking.
- Seat belts: Wearing a seat belt is one of the simplest ways for teens to stay safe in a vehicle. Teens aren’t buckling up, and neither are their passengers. In 2023, safety belts were not worn in one-third of the fatalities and serious injuries involving these teen drivers.
- Texting: Texting while driving is more than just risky, it’s deadly. In Florida, one in seven crashes are due to distracted driving. Approximately 300 people died in Florida in 2023 as a result of distracted drivers. Law enforcement officers across the state reported 4,680 texting while driving violations. Distracted driving resulted in 53,596 crashes in Florida, an average of 1,116 crashes every week. Drivers under 25 were responsible for almost 40% of those crashes.
- Speeding: Teens are more likely than older drivers to speed and to allow shorter distances from the front of one vehicle to the front of the next. 35% of male drivers and 18% of female drivers (ages 15–19 years) who were involved in fatal crashes were speeding at the time of the crash in 2023.
- Passengers: Research shows that the risk of a fatal crash goes up in direct relation to the number of teens in a car. The likelihood of teen drivers engaging in risky behavior triples when traveling with multiple passengers.
THE SOLUTION—TALK TO YOUR TEEN OFTEN Driving is a new chapter, a step toward independence for many teens. But your job’s not done. Surveys show that teens whose parents impose driving restrictions typically engage in less risky driving and are involved in fewer crashes. They can’t listen if you don’t talk.
SunCoast Traffic School believes the 5 To Drive rules for teens are a starting point for parents to begin having an ongoing conversation with their teen family members that may help prevent tragedy.
Parent & Teen Page – “5 Rules To Drive”