The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is teaming up with Audubon County Memorial Hospital and Clinics to support National Teen Driver Safety Week, October 18–24, 2026. It is important to discuss safe driving habits with teens every day, but Teen Driver Safety Week serves as an opportunity for parents and guardians to have a conversation with teens about safe driving habits. Teen drivers need to know the Rules of the Road (https://www.nhtsa.gov/road-safety/teen-driving) before parents hand over the keys. Ultimately, it’s parents who are in control.
Traffic crashes are a leading cause of injury and death for 15-18-year-olds in the United States. In 2024, there were 85,947 teen drivers injured in traffic crashes. In 2024, there were 2,320 people killed in crashes involving a teen driver, and 752 were teen drivers themselves. Of the 2,320 people killed in crashes involving a teen driver, 478 were the passengers of a teen driver, and 280 (59%) of those fatalities were other teens riding with a teen driver. Of those teen passengers killed while riding with another teen driver, 61% were male and 39% were female.
“Parents play an important role in helping teens develop safe driving habits,” said Cassandra Neumann, RN, Chief Nursing Officer of Audubon County Memorial Hospital and Clinics. “For new drivers, gaining experience behind the wheel can also mean facing situations they may not know how to handle yet. Parents can help by setting a good example, talking openly with their teens about safe driving choices, and reminding them that even small decisions behind the wheel can have serious consequences.”
It’s a parent’s responsibility to help teen drivers make smart choices to stay safe on the road. NHTSA gives parents and guardians tips on how to talk about safer driving. These tips include discussions on how to influence positive behaviors and how to approach dangerous driving behaviors such as alcohol and other drug use, lack of seat belt use, distracted driving, speeding, or driving with passengers. Surveys show that teens whose parents set firm rules for driving typically engaged in less risky driving behaviors and were involved in fewer crashes.
Teens need to understand the rules, whether there are any other restrictions outlined in Iowa’s graduated driver licensing law, and the deadly consequences that could occur.
For more information about teen driver safety, NHTSA.gov/TeenDriverSafetyNHTSA.gov/TeenDriving.
