In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania today (October 21st), Governor Josh Shapiro’s Administration held a forum about the importance of driver safety with young drivers during the annual Teen Driver Safety Forum.

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The forum message translates to New York State teens as well. According to the release from the Governor’s Administration, the Pennsylvania forum was attended by representatives from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, State Police,  Department of Education, Pennsylvania Insurance Department, and local safety advocates.

We can all help make highways safer by working together to help new drivers gain experience and knowledge. Parents and teachers can help set a good example for teens by making safe driving choices. – PennDOT Deputy Secretary for Driver and Vehicle Services Kara Templeton

According to the forum, there were 78,266 vehicle crashes in Pennsylvania involving at least one driver between the ages of 16 and 19, resulting in 479 fatalities from driving too fast for conditions, driver inexperience, driver distraction, and careless turning.

Recommendations For Parents Of Teen Drivers To ConsiderHave regular conversations with your teen about safe driving skills.Establish a parent/teen driving contract.Encourage teen drivers to avoid distractions behind the wheel.Limit the number of passengers teen drivers may have in their vehicle.Limit dawn, dusk, and nighttime driving until the teen driver gains more experience, and enforce a curfew.Gradually increase the amount of time and distance teen drivers are allowed to drive.Enforce observance of speed limits and other rules of the road.Ride with teen drivers occasionally after they receive their license to monitor their driving skills.Set a good example with responsible driving habits.

For more information on teen driver safety, visit the PennDOT website.

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