Data shows motor vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of preventable death for teens

WASHINGTON, Oct. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Ahead of the 20^th annual National Teen Driver Safety Week (Oct. 18-24), the National Safety Council is encouraging parents, caregivers and community organizations to help young drivers put safety first on the road. Through the DriveitHOME program, in partnership with General Motors, NSC provides free tools to begin instilling safe habits in our youngest roadway users. Responsible driving is especially vital for early drivers, as car crashes remain the leading cause of preventable death for teens in the U.S. In 2024, 5,247 people died in crashes involving drivers ages 15-20, a 6.5% decrease from the prior year.

Available in English and Spanish, DriveitHOME’s free resources help educate young drivers, track their progress and set them on course for a future of safe driving:

• Virtual training and lessons
  • DriveitHOME provides parents and caregivers with comprehensive training and lesson plans for teen roadway safety, including the DriveitHOME Virtual Parent Training, which details key safety topics and local Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) requirements, and the weekly Pointers for Parents lessons
• The New Driver Deal
  • A customizable parent-teen agreement that establishes clear expectations for teen drivers, addressing curfews, passenger limits, vehicle responsibilities and more
• DriveitHOME™App 
  • Track your teen’s practice hours and access lessons, the New Driver Deal and other DriveitHOME resources through the free app, available on the App Store and Google Play
• Community resources
  • Promote teen driver safety in schools, workplaces and communities through videos, posters, infographics and more

“Getting a driver’s license is an exciting milestone, but learning to drive safely takes more than passing a test,” said Debra Sanchez, executive vice president of Safety Impact & External Affairs at NSC. “Parents and caregivers have an enormous influence on how teens behave behind the wheel. This means setting clear expectations, modeling safe behavior and continuing the conversation long after the teen receives their license. The habits we help young drivers build today can prevent tragedies and save lives for years to come.”

According to a survey commissioned by NSC in 2025, 82% of parents feel confident in teaching their teen to drive safely, but only 55% consider themselves knowledgeable about best practices. DriveitHOME provides resources not just to educate teens, but to ensure parents are sufficiently informed themselves to set an example for young drivers.

For more information on DriveitHOME National Teen Driver Safety Week resources, visit nsc.org/NTDSW.

About the National Safety Council
The National Safety Council is America’s leading nonprofit safety advocate – and has been for over 110 years. As a mission-based organization, we work to eliminate the leading causes of preventable death and injury, focusing our efforts on the workplace and roadways. We create a culture of safety to not only keep people safer at work, but also beyond the workplace so they can live their fullest lives.

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©2026 National Safety Council

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SOURCE National Safety Council