The Shapiro Administration shared the importance of driver safety with young drivers at high schools across the Commonwealth during the annual Teen Driver Safety Forum.

The forum was held at Northeastern High School in Manchester and featured a panel of representatives from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), Pennsylvania State Police, Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), Pennsylvania Insurance Department (PID), and local safety advocates. The panel answered questions from an in-person and online audience of students on topics ranging from safe driving tips to how to get a driver’s license.

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

Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death among teens. From 2020 to 2024, there were 78,266 vehicle crashes in Pennsylvania involving at least one driver between the ages of 16 and 19, resulting in 479 fatalities. 63 percent of those crashes involved a teen driver driving too fast for conditions (22,662 crashes), driver inexperience (7,452), driver distraction (13,372), or careless turning (13,771).      

“An important factor in ensuring that a young driver develops good habits behind the wheel is parental involvement, starting long before their teen gets a learner’s permit,” said Captain Adam Reed, Assistant Director, Office of Community Engagement for the Pennsylvania State Police. “We all can influence positive behaviors among teen drivers through our own actions by eliminating distractions and obeying all traffic laws, including seatbelt use.”

The Shapiro Administration is working to reduce these risks by encouraging young drivers to limit the number of passengers riding with a teen driver, obey all road rules, and use common sense.

Parents of teen drivers should consider the following recommendations to help their children become safe and responsible drivers:

• Have regular conversations with your teen about safe driving skills, even before they get their learner’s permit.
• Establish a parent/teen driving contract.
• Encourage teen drivers to avoid distractions behind the wheel, such as talking or texting on their cell phone.
• Limit the number of passengers teen drivers may have in their vehicle. Drivers under 18 may not carry more than one passenger under the age of 18 who is not an immediate family member unless one parent or guardian is in the vehicle. After the first six months of incident-free driving on a junior license, the limit is increased to no more than three passengers under the age of 18 who are not immediate family members unless one parent or guardian is in the vehicle.
• Limit dawn, dusk, and nighttime driving until the teen driver gains more experience and enforce a curfew. Remember, state law prohibits 16- and 17-year-olds with a junior license from driving between 11:00 PM and 5:00 AM.
• 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 driving skills.
• Set a good example with responsible driving habits.

Further reinforcing safe driving habits among teen drivers, the PA Turnpike, PED, and PennDOT teamed up to launch a statewide training program last year to improve the safety of new drivers and protect roadway workers. Pennsylvania’s New Driver Work Zone Safety Program is an online training that utilizes engaging videos, infographics, knowledge checks, and powerful testimonials to educate new drivers on work zone laws, signage, and key facts, while also presenting real-life scenarios to enhance understanding.

“Driving is a highly complex skill that requires years of practice to perfect,” said Acting Department of Education Secretary Dr. Carrie Rowe. “Driver education training programs are invaluable in teaching novice drivers, especially teenagers, the critical skills they need to successfully and safely navigate on the roads.”

Driver education programs also offer an extended benefit to young drivers. Pennsylvania Insurance Department reminds young drivers that, in addition to shopping around, there are ways that they can proactively keep their rates lower, such as taking advantage of discount opportunities by taking driver’s ed classes and maintaining good grades. Teens who focus on making good decisions behind the wheel, such as always wearing a seatbelt, eliminating distractions, and putting phones away while driving, tend to avoid accidents and driving violations, which are key to keeping rates low.

“Auto insurance is an important financial protection for students and their families. While many high school students are excited to get their driver’s license, rates for young drivers, usually paid by parents, are high, because young, inexperienced drivers have a higher likelihood of filing insurance claims,” said Pennsylvania Insurance Deputy Commissioner David Buono. “As new drivers develop good driving habits, it is also necessary that they understand the importance of remaining insured and the role of auto insurance, including the coverages they buy.”

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