What factors contribute to motor vehicle crashes involving young drivers?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, most crashes involving young drivers result from inexperience, risk-taking behavior, high-risk situations, alcohol use, illegal drug use, and not wearing a safety belt. (NHTSA) • Why is so much attention focused on young drivers? A significant percentage of young drivers are involved in traffic crashes and are twice as likely as adult drivers to be in a fatal crash. Sixteen-year-old drivers have crash rates that are three times those of 17-year-olds, five times those of 18-year-olds, and twice those of 85-year-olds. (NHTSA) • What is a juvenile licensing ceremony? In Virginia, all persons under age 18 receiving their first driver’s license must participate in a juvenile licensing ceremony. In this ceremony, teenage drivers and their parents or legal guardians appear before a judge to receive a permanent driver’s license.
