Teen drivers at highest risk at age 16, study finds

By Zenaida Serrano Espanol
Advertiser Staff Writer

Driving safely isn't always the first thing on the minds of excited teens preparing for the prom. But information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration should encourage teens and their parents to take precautions. The administration reports that driving poses the highest risk at age 16. Forty-eight percent of deaths were passengers and slightly more 16-year-old females were killed as passengers than as drivers.

The I Promise Program, a safe-driving program based in Ontario, Canada, offers these tips for parents of teens who plan to drive on prom night:

• Check the brakes and brake fluid.

• Limit the number of passengers your teen is allowed to transport.

• Be a good role model, and do not drink and drive.

• Insist that your teen and all passengers wear their seat belts and, again, lead by example.

For details about the program, visit www.ipromiseprogram.com.