The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) is working with the California Traffic Safety Administration (OTS) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to encourage all young drivers to take to the roads to improve safety for everyone. I am reminding you to concentrate. October 15-21 is National Teen Driver Safety Week, a great opportunity for California parents to talk to their teens about safe driving, including the importance of sober driving.
The biggest dangers for teen drivers are drinking alcohol, not wearing a seatbelt, distracted driving, speeding, and driving with a passenger. During National Teen Driver Safety Week, parents are encouraged to talk with their teens about important rules they need to follow to stay safe.
According to the California Highway Patrol, traffic accidents are the leading cause of death for teens ages 16 to 19. Teen drivers were found to be at fault in approximately 66% of these crashes.
ABC director Joseph McCullough said: “The ABC encourages parents to talk to their children about the dangers of impaired driving.” “Underage drinking results in a disproportionate number of drunk driving deaths each year.”
A total of 2,116 young drivers died in traffic crashes in 2021, an 11% increase compared to 2020, according to NHTSA. Parents can have the biggest impact on their teens’ driving habits by taking the time to discuss traffic accidents with their teens. Biggest driving risk. To reduce the risk of teen drivers, follow these basic rules:
Impaired Driving: All teens are too young to legally purchase, possess, or consume alcohol. However, in the national context in 2021, 27 percent of young drivers involved in fatal crashes had alcohol in their system, and 84 percent of the drivers involved had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 percent. It was beyond. The number of teen drivers involved in fatal crashes with alcohol in their system has nearly doubled since 2017, according to NHTSA statistics.
Seat belt safety: Wearing a seat belt is one of the easiest ways for teens to stay safe in the car. But too many teens don’t unbuckle. 52% of his teenage car drivers who died in 2021 were unbuckled.
Distracted Driving: Using a cell phone while driving is not only dangerous, but also illegal. Distracted driving accounted for 8% of his teen’s car accidents in 2021. Drivers under the age of 18 are prohibited from using their phones for any reason, including hands-free.
Speed ​​Limits: Speeding is a serious problem for all drivers, especially teenage drivers. In 2021, fatal crashes involving teens ages 15 to 20 were faster than any other demographic.
Passengers: Teen drivers are three times more likely to engage in risky behavior when traveling with multiple passengers.
OTS funds multiple ABC programs designed to keep California’s youth safe. This includes Targeted Responsibility for Alcohol-Related Emergencies (TRACE), Minor Decoy, and Shoulder Tap Decoy operations, which are used to reduce youth access to alcohol. TRACE includes ABC’s in-depth investigations into critical incidents involving alcohol-related car accidents. The underage decoy and shoulder tap program reduces young people’s access to alcohol by conducting compliance checks on licensees and the public to ensure they do not provide alcohol to minors. .
For more information about National Youth Driver Safety Week and safe driving tips to share with youth, visit the NHTSA website.
The Alcoholic Beverage Control Board (ABC) is the California state government agency responsible for regulating alcoholic beverages. ABC’s mission is to provide the highest level of service and public safety to the people of California through licensing, education, and enforcement. The ABC is a division of the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Authority.
