Teens in the Driver Seat

A peer-to-peer safe driving program for your school.

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Always Wear a Seat Belt

More than half of all young passengers who die in crashes are not buckled up.

A Seat Belt Can Save Your Life:

  • Seat belts saved an estimated 14,955 lives in 2017 and an additional 2,549 lives could have been saved with 100% seatbelt use.1 
  • You can be ticketed for not wearing a seat belt – even if you are sitting in the back seat. If you are in a state that does not have a primary seat belt law (police can’t pull you over just for not wearing a seat belt) check to verify if there is a law that requires anyone under the age of 18 to be buckled up. Visit here for more seat belt laws.
  • A seat belt does not protect you when it’s not worn properly.2

Passenger Awareness:

  • Safety experts recommend that teens under the age of 13 always ride in the back seat.3 Research shows that in fatal crashes, restrained children in the front seat are roughly 1.5 times as likely to be fatally injured compared to restrained children in the back seat.4
  • The front seat presents two dangers to junior high teens:
    • They can be badly hurt or killed when the airbag deploys.
    • They are more likely to be hurt in a crash because most wrecks involve the front end of the vehicle.
  • “Properly worn” seat belts mean both straps are snugly fitted to your hipbones and shoulder bones. With just the shoulder strap on, you can slide out from under the seat belt and be strangled, while the lap belt alone doesn’t keep your face from hitting the steering wheel.5
  • If the seat belt does not fit you properly, move to the back and use a booster, if needed. It may not be cool but you’ll be safe! Being belted in wrong can be just as dangerous as not wearing a seat belt at all.
  • During a crash, being buckled up helps keep you safe and secure inside your vehicle. Being thrown out of a vehicle is almost always deadly.2 Remember, you can also do a lot of damage to other passengers if you’re not buckled up.
  • Airbags are designed to work with seat belts, not replace them. In fact, if you don’t wear your seat belt, you could be thrown into an opening airbag and be injured or even killed.6
  • A seat belt is your best and last protection if you are in a crash.
  • Every other day in the U.S. there has been at least one passenger from the ages of 9 to 12 who dies in a car crash since 2015.1
  • In 2021, an average of 50% of all young passengers (ages 11-14) who died in crashes were not buckled up.1
  • Studies show that junior high teens who said their parents set clear rules, paid attention to where they were going and whom they were with, and did so in a supportive way were twice as likely to wear their seat belts.2
  • Teen drivers significantly impact young passengers:
    • Teen drivers are 2 times more likely to have children in the front seat than adult drivers.5
    • Novice teen drivers are 3 times more likely to have unrestrained child passengers than adult drivers.5

Be a Leader:

  • Get in the habit of always putting your seat belt on every time you get into a vehicle. No matter the distance you are going.
  • Help out by asking other passengers to buckle up. Help be responsible for everyone’s safety.

Sources:

  1. NHTSA FARS Data
  2. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and State Farm https://injury.research.chop.edu/sites/default/files/documents/9_28_09_release.pdf
  3. CDC, https://www.cdc.gov/injury/features/child-passenger-safety/index.html
  4. https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/809784
  5. Chen IG, Elliott MR, Durbin DR, et al. Teen drivers and the risk of injury to child passengers in motor vehicle crashes. Injury Prevention 2005, 1:12-17. https://injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/11/1/12

Updated August 2024