National Teen Driver Safety Week is Oct. 18-24

National Teen Driver Safety Week is Oct. 18-24.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death or injury for Americans aged 14-18. In 2013, there were 2,614 teen (15-19 year old) passenger vehicle drivers involved in fatal crashes and an estimated 130,000 were injured.

But a recent survey shows that only 25 percent of parents have had a serious talk with their kids about the key components of driving.

This year’s National Teen Driver Safety Week campaign is called “5 to Drive.”

1. No cell phone use or texting while driving,
2. No extra passengers,
3. No speeding,
4. No alcohol, and
5. No driving or riding without a seat belt.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens, making it important for parents, teachers, coaches, and others who have an influence on youth to join in teaching youth about driving safety. A survey conducted by the Governors Highway Safety Association in February noted that 62 percent of state highway safety offices indicated coaches present one of the greatest opportunities to influence teens in their state.

Teen drivers are especially at risk for being injured or killed on the road due to factors like driver inexperience, lack of safety belt use, impaired driving, distracted driving, and unsafe speed.

RELATED: Bereaved Parents, Concerned Officials Start New Castle Campaign against Distracted Driving

Statistics from the Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research indicate that from 2011 to 2013:

• · As many as 13 percent of motor vehicle fatalities occurred in crashes involving drivers ages 16 to 20.· “Driver inattention/distraction” was the most frequently reported contributing factor for both drivers ages 16 to 20 and for all drivers in fatal and personal injury crashes.· Drivers ages 16 to 20 in fatal and personal injury crashes were twice as likely as all drivers to have “unsafe speed” reported as a contributing factor.

For additional resources educators, coaches, or school resource officers can request for teen driver safety events, click here. For DMV resources for younger drivers, click here.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced the launch of Coaches Care, a new initiative encouraging coaches to openly discuss the issue with student athletes.

“Coaches can have a significant and lasting impact on young adults, so we’re enlisting their help to encourage teenagers to always drive responsibly,” Cuomo said. “Proper driving habits can make all the difference when it comes to preventing unnecessary tragedies. I encourage all schools and coaches to join us in this effort to keep everyone safe on the roads.”

Coaches Care is the result of a partnership between the governor’s Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC) and schools statewide. The campaign builds upon the Committee’s No Empty Chair campaign, launched in 2014, and the No Empty Chair Cops Care initiative introduced in April 2015, which provide police and school resource officers tools to help them educate teens about safe driving during prom and graduation season.

As part of the campaign, informational posters will be displayed in locker rooms, classrooms, and high-traffic areas in schools. School administrators, athletic directors, and coaches should contact Todd Engwer of the GTSC to request the posters free of charge by emailing him at Todd.Engwer@dmv.ny.gov. Talking points are provided on the GTSC website for coaches to help teens understand the dangers they face on the road. Information about the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s “5 to Drive” list will be made available in these talking points. This list contains five necessary rules for addressing the greatest dangers for teen drivers: alcohol, texting, seat belts, speeding, and extra passengers.