Information and resources

It is time for your teen to begin driving. Your child is ready, but are you ready?

The first year of driving is the most important year of driving for your teenager. The participation of parents can make a positive difference. Younger drivers are in a greater number of crashes than other age groups. The crashes that involve teens also tend to be more serious than crashes that involve only drivers in other age groups. The statistics below about younger drivers age 16 to 24 are not provided to alarm parents, but to alert parents:

  • Drivers ages 16-24 represent 12% of the licensed drivers in New York State, but represent 20% of the drivers involved in crashes.
  • 32% of all fatalities in the years 2004 through 2006 occurred in crashes that involved younger drivers.
  • Younger drivers involved in fatal and personal injury crashes are twice as likely as all drivers in such crashes to have unsafe speed reported as a factor that contributed to the accident.
  • Fatal and personal injury crashes that involve younger drivers are more likely to involve more than one vehicle than all the fatal and personal injury crashes.

As a parent, you can have a positive impact through knowledge of the New York State Graduated Driver License (GDL) law. You can contribute to the driving safety of your teen if you: