It’s Teen Driver Safety Week and the state is highlighting steps young drivers can take to stay safe behind the wheel.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2,608 vehicle crashes involved teen drivers between 15 and 18 years old in 2021, the last year for which full data was available. Approximately one-third of those deaths, 861, were the driver.

In Pennsylvania, between 2018 and 2022, 79,684 crashes involved teen drivers, according to a joint release from state police, PennDOT and the state departments of education and insurance. Sixty-five percent of those crashes, 51,949, involved careless driving.

“We all have a part in making highways safer, and we all need to work together to help new drivers gain valuable experience and knowledge,” PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll said in a release. “Parents and teachers are an integral part of establishing a mentality of safety behind the wheel among teen drivers.”

Major factors contributing to teen crashes include impaired driving; distracted driving, particularly when using a cell phone or from other passengers in the vehicle; speeding; and failure to use seat belts.

“An important factor in ensuring that a young driver develops good habits behind the wheel is parental involvement, starting long before their teen gets a learner’s permit,” said Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Col. Christopher Paris said in the release. “We all can influence positive behaviors among teen drivers through our own actions by eliminating distractions and obeying all traffic laws, including seatbelt use.”

The state provided a number of tips for parents including:

¯ Having regular conversations with your teen about safe driving skills, even before they get their learner’s permit.

¯ Establishing a parent/teen driving contract.

¯ Strongly encouraging your teen to avoid distractions behind the wheel, such as talking or texting on their cell phone.

¯ Limiting the number of passengers your teen may have in their vehicle.

¯ Limiting dawn, dusk and nighttime driving until your teen gains more experience and enforce a curfew.

¯ Gradually increasing the amount of time/distance your teen is allowed to drive.

¯ Enforcing observance of speed limits and other rules of the road.

¯ Riding with your teen occasionally after they receive their license to monitor driving skills.

¯ Setting a good example with your own driving habits.

In Pennsylvania, drivers under 18 may not carry more than one passenger under the age of 18 who is not an immediate family member unless one parent or guardian is in the vehicle. After the first six months of incident-free driving on a junior license, the limit is increased to no more than three passengers under the age of 18 who are not immediate family members unless one parent or guardian is in the vehicle. State law prohibits 16- and 17-year-olds with a junior license from driving between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.

Insurance incentives are available for teens who take driver education courses and maintain good grades. Driver education programs have been approved by the state for classrooms in Warren County.