Teenagers getting a license to drive is an initiation into adulthood. With this truly American rite of passage, they discard the status of passenger and eagerly anticipate their new-found independence. Parents are right to identify this as a time for concern. We want to help our kids to avoid the mistakes we made. In Delaware today, the most likely reason for a teen to be killed is a traffic crash.
Teenagers crash three times as often as adult drivers.
The causes cited for teen crashes are lack of experience and skills, poor judgement, risk taking and excessive driving at night. Most fatalities to teens occur between midnight and 3 a.m. Young drivers tend to drive too fast, run off the road and overcompensate to correct driving errors. Teenagers also are more likely to drive with many passengers, which can distract the driver. A driver's license should be a license to learn and live.