National Teen Driver Safety Week: What Parents Need to Know
National Teen Driver Safety Week is an annual campaign designed to encourage parents and teens to talk about safe driving habits and the risks new drivers face behind the wheel. In 2026, National Teen Driver Safety Week takes place October 18–24.
But safe driving isn't something families should think about for just one week each year. For parents of teen drivers, this is a good opportunity to reinforce the habits and decision-making skills that can help keep teens safe every time they get behind the wheel.
You might think to yourself, “Yeah, I know. It’s important to be a safe driver. I get it.”
But here’s the thing: if everyone really “got it,” we wouldn’t still be seeing so many serious and fatal crashes involving teen drivers.
Safe driving isn’t just about knowing the rules of the road or passing a driver’s test. It’s about building the awareness, judgment and habits that help drivers recognize risk and make safe decisions before something goes wrong.
Folks, crashes are often preventable. That’s why safe driving skills really do matter - and why National Teen Driver Safety Week is worth paying attention to.
But it shouldn’t stop there.
Until we see the number of teens, and people of all ages, dying in car crashes get down to zero, it’s critical that parents and teens pay attention not just during this one week, but all year long.
Why Is Teen Driver Safety So Important?
Driving gives teenagers independence, but new drivers also face risks that more experienced drivers have learned to recognize and manage.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), traffic crashes remain a leading cause of death for teenagers ages 15–18 in the United States. In 2024:
2,320 people were killed in crashes involving a teen driver ages 15 - 18.
752 teen drivers were killed in crashes.
85,947 teen drivers were injured in traffic crashes.
NHTSA identifies several major risks for teen drivers, including speeding, distracted driving, impaired driving, not wearing a seat belt, additional passengers and drowsy driving.
Those numbers are a reminder that safe driving is about much more than knowing how to steer a car, make a turn or pass a driver's test. Teens also need to learn how to recognize hazards, make good decisions and manage risk.
Parents Have More Influence Than They May Realize
Teenagers might roll their eyes at yet another reminder from Mom or Dad, but parents still have an important role in shaping how their teens drive.
That starts with setting clear expectations, but it also means modeling the behavior you want your teen to follow. If you expect your teen to put the phone away, follow the speed limit and wear a seat belt, make sure they consistently see you doing the same.
Parents can also help teens develop something that takes much longer to learn than the basic mechanics of operating a car: how to recognize and evaluate risk.
After more than 20 years of coaching teen drivers and their parents, I've seen that this is one of the biggest challenges for new drivers.
Experienced drivers are constantly noticing things without thinking much about it: a car approaching an intersection too quickly, a pedestrian near a crosswalk, brake lights several cars ahead or a vehicle that might suddenly change lanes.
Teen drivers haven't developed that same experience yet.
That's why driving practice shouldn't just be about telling your teen what to do next. Help them learn to see what's happening around them and decide what they need to do.
Instead of constantly saying, “Slow down,” “Watch that car” or “Brake,” try asking questions like:
What do you notice ahead?
What could that other driver do?
Where is your safest space if something changes?
Is there anything here that could become a problem?
Over time, those conversations can help teens become more aware and independent drivers rather than simply waiting for a parent to tell them what to do.
What Are the Biggest Risks for Teen Drivers?
Parents should regularly talk with their teens about a few particularly important driving habits:
Always wear a seat belt. Everyone in the vehicle should be buckled before the car moves.
Put the phone away. Texting, social media, navigation and other phone distractions can take a driver's attention away from the road.
Follow the speed limit. Speeding gives drivers less time to react and can make a crash more severe.
Never drive impaired. Alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs can affect judgment, reaction time and coordination.
Limit passengers. Other teens in the vehicle can create additional distractions for an inexperienced driver.
Don't drive tired. Drowsiness can affect attention and reaction time, even when a driver hasn't fallen asleep.
6 Things Parents Can Do During National Teen Driver Safety Week
Use National Teen Driver Safety Week as a reason to check in with your teen about driving. You can:
Review your family's driving rules, including phones, passengers, nighttime driving and seat belts.
Practice in different driving environments, not just familiar neighborhood roads.
Ask your teen to identify potential hazards while you're driving together.
Talk about what to do when something goes wrong, such as missing a turn, being pressured by another driver, or becoming tired.
Model the habits you expect from your teen every time you're behind the wheel.
Keep the practice going, even after your teen has their license. Hop in the car with your licensed teen driver, even a short trip to the store can give you the opportunity to reinforce the safe driving habits they were taught in the beginning.
Most importantly, keep the conversation going after National Teen Driver Safety Week ends.
Teaching a teenager to drive safely isn't about getting them through the driver's test. It's about helping them develop the awareness, judgment and defensive driving habits they'll use for the rest of their lives.
About Todd Avery
Todd Avery is the founder of Safe Driving Coach and has more than 20 years of experience teaching teen drivers and coaching their parents. Safe Driving Coach provides behind-the-wheel driving lessons in Montgomery and Bucks Counties, Pennsylvania, as well as online resources for parents everywhere who want to help their teens become responsible, aware, and defensive drivers.
