The Newtown Bee is joining AAA Northeast during Teen Driver Safety Week, October 18 to 24, in asking families with teen drivers: when was the last time you had a frank discussion about safe driving habits?

Most weeks, The Newtown Bee's Police Reports section has at least one teen driver involved in a motor vehicle crash. Distracted driving is a leading cause given the amount of rear-end incidents.

It can be a tough conversation, but the need for parents and teens to talk about the risks young drivers face is greater than ever. Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death for 15- to 20-year-olds and recent federal crash data shows the problem has been worsening nationwide for a decade.

Along with general reminders about junior operator laws and teen driving restrictions regarding teen passengers and late-night driving, consider sharing the sobering facts about the rise in crashes and what causes them.

Across the country, fatalities in crashes involving young drivers ages 15 to 24 increased by 11% in the ten years between 2015 and 2024, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). In 2024, over 2,100 young drivers were killed in traffic crashes across the country, and more than 184,000 were injured. Young drivers accounted for nine percent of all drivers in fatal crashes despite making up only 5.2% of all licensed drivers in 2024.

While most crashes involving teen drivers are minor and relate to inexperience and common mistakes, more serious crashes can be caused by a teen taking unnecessary risks or exercising poor judgment. While much of the recent public discussion about teen driving is focused on distracted driving and cellphone use, available national and local crash data reveals that distracted driving isn’t the main culprit. In 2024, 93% of teen drivers involved in fatal crashes were not reported to be distracted at the time of the crash, and only seven percent of all teen fatalities were in distraction-affected crashes.

With this in mind, families should zero in on the more deadly driving behaviors: speeding, impairment, not using a seatbelt, and driving with teen passengers.

Alcohol impairment is a major contributing factor in fatal teen crashes. Nationwide, nearly 30% of young drivers killed in crashes had alcohol in their system, and 25% had blood alcohol concentrations higher than the 0.08 limit in most states.

Another key contributing factor is speed. In 2024, male and female teen drivers more than any other group were speeding at the time of the fatal crash, according to NHTSA. For males, 39% were speeding and for females, the figure was 20%. In comparison, male and female drivers ages 35 to 44 were speeding at rates of 21% and 12%, respectively.

In Connecticut, there were 65,665 crashes involving drivers ages 16 to 19 between 2020 and 2025, an average of about 30 a day, according to data from the University of Connecticut Crash Repository. Over 150 of those crashes resulted in fatalities, and 12,246 resulted in injuries. Of those killed, 64 were the teen drivers, and 23 were their passengers under age 20.

Especially with Halloween coming up, a night filled with even younger pedestrians, having discussions with teens about not just safe driving but patient driving is important. And teens are not the only ones making questionable choices on the road. The Newtown Bee urges ALL Newtown drivers to think twice and pay attention while driving. And put the cell phones down.