The Ohio Highway Patrol is placing focus on teen driver safety.
Teen drivers have a higher rate of fatal crashes, caused mainly by immaturity and a lack of skills and experience, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Nationwide, about 11 percent of drivers are 24 years old and younger.
In Ohio from 2021 to 2022, drivers between the ages of 15 and 24 were involved in 166,399 traffic crashes, which resulted in 441 fatalities and 45,540 injuries.
Governor Mike DeWine is urging young motorists who get behind the wheel to drive responsibly and focus on the road.
Colonel Charles Jones, superintendent of the OHP added that poor driving decisions can impact young drivers for the rest of their lives.
The leading causes of fatal at-fault crashes include driving at an unsafe speed, following too closely, failure to yield, running a red light or stop sign, driving off the roadway and driving left of center.
To support young drivers, the patrol oversees the Drive to Live education program, which engages young drivers in conversations about good decision making.
An Ohio Department of Public Safety webpage, Teach Your Teen to Drive, also offers parents and caregivers helpful tips and a framework for having discussions with teen drivers about risky driving behaviors that can lead to fatal consequences.
