Car crashes are leading cause of death in teenagers

Teenage drivers currently remain one of the most at-risk groups for car crashes in Ohio.

According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, motor vehicle crashes cause more teenage deaths than other types of injury, disease, or violence.

National Teen Driver Safety Week is taking place Oct. 15-21 and Ohio Insurance Director Jillian Froment and John Born, director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety, which includes the Ohio Highway Patrol, are encouraging all parents to talk to their teen drivers about the rules of the road when they are behind the wheel as well as the dangers of distracted driving.

In an Oct. 1 media release sent by OHP Chardon Post Commander Lt. Charles Gullet, drivers who are 15 to 19 years old were involved in 15 percent of all traffic crashes in Ohio from 2014 to 2016. Actions taken by the teens resulted in more then 72

percent of these crashes and led to 286 fatalities and 41,511 injuries.

There were many reported contributing causes of these crashes such as following too closely, failure to yield, and running through red lights and stops signs.

“Poor decisions while driving can stay with teen drivers for the rest of their lives,” Gullet said in the release. “That is why responsibility, awareness and safety are so important for our young drivers.”

In Cuyahoga County between 2014 and 2016, there were 8,054 at-fault teen crashes. In Lorain County there were 2,315 while Lake County had 2,014 and Geauga County had 903.

According to the media release, National Teen Driving Safety Week is the perfect time for teens and their parents to discuss the dangers new drivers face. This will allow them to be informed so they can make safe and responsible decisions.

“Surveys show that teen drivers whose parents set firm rules for driving typically engage in less risky driving behaviors and are involved in fewer crashes,” Gullet said in the release.

On a nationwide scale in 2015, 1,972 teen drivers (1518 years old) were involved in fatal crashes that resulted in 2,207 fatalities of those 1,730 were teenagers. An estimated 99,000 teen drivers were injured in motor vehicles crashes, according to an ODPS media release.