GTSC marks teen driver safety week

NEWYORK » During Teen Driver Safety Week, the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee ( GTSC) reminded parents, teachers, coaches, and adult mentors to talk to teens about important rules they need to follow to stay safe on the road.

National Teen Driver Safety Week runs from Oct. 18 through Oct. 24. According to the National Highway Traffic Administration, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for 15 to 18 year- olds in the United States.

“Giving young drivers the tools to be safe on our roads is a top priority for New York,” GTSC Chair and DMV Commissioner Mark J.F. Schroeder said in a news release.

“GTSC will continue to work hard to make sure young drivers are prepared to drive safely, and we remind parents, teachers, and mentors of their important role in helping young drivers develop safe driving skills early on,” Schroeder added.

New York’s efforts to improve the safety of young drivers are working. According to the Institute for Traffic Management and Research, fatal and personal-injury crashes involving 16- and 17-yearolds decreased more than 10 percent from 2017 to 2019.

Last year, GTSC announced a new partnership with Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) to help prevent teen driving tragedies and to improve safety on New York’s roadways. Through this partnership, SADD established its first- ever State Coordinator position to mobilize SADD chapters and expand awareness efforts across the state. Highlights from this year include: 54 webinars for students and advisors, registering 71 SADD chapters throughout the state, establishing NY SADD social media accounts, and providing 84 victim advocate presentations to more than 17,000 participants.

“New York SADD looks forward to another productive and successful year of developing and engaging SADD chapters and students to be safer drivers and passengers,” Lauren Meade, SADD State Coordinator, said.

Due to Covid-19 changing the learning environment this year, GTSC partnered with New York State Departments of Education, Health, and Motor Vehicles to develop driver education curriculum resources which are available online. These resources were developed through the Driver Education Research and Innovation Center (DERIC) project with the intent of reducing crashes and producing safer teen drivers statewide.

Another major component of New York’s teen traffic safety is the Graduated Driver License Law (GDL). The GDL places restrictions such as nighttime driving rules and passenger limits on drivers under 18-years- of-age who have a junior learner permit or junior driver license. The law is intended to provide time for teens to gain critical experience in various traffic scenarios in a safe and controlled manner.

The DMV website offers more information and resources to help educate young drivers including a Parent’s Guide to Teen Driver.