Prom and graduation are among two of the defining moments of high school, but the choices you make while traveling to and from these events may define the rest of your life. The Wyandot County Safe Communities Coalition wants to remind teens and their peers about the dangers of reckless, drunk, and distracted driving.
Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death for teens 15-18 in the United States. On Ohio roads in 2022, teen drivers were involved in 35,332 crashes, according to Ohio State Highway Patrol statistics. Of these crashes 27% resulted in injuries ranging from suspected injury to serious injury. A total of 63 teen-driving crashes occurred in Wyandot County in 2022.
Others may influence your driving choices, but it’s up to you to make the right decision to buckle your seat belt, put down your phone and other distractions, and to get a safe ride home if you’re impaired.
Know the biggest risks to your safety when you’re behind the wheel:
- Impaired Driving: In 2022, 14% of 2022 teen fatalities in Ohio involved alcohol and 42% of these fatalities involved operating a vehicle while impaired according OSHP statistics. Alcohol and other drugs, such as marijuana affect a driver’s ability to react to their surroundings, and the results can be fatal.
- Seat belts: Seat belts are designed to keep you and your passengers safe, no matter where you’re sitting in the car, because they prevent ejection in the event of a crash. They only work when used correctly, so tell your passengers to buckle up before you hit the road. Around 52% of teens who died in traffic crashes in Ohio in 2022 were also unbelted.
- Distracted driving: Driving distracted is more than risky, it can be deadly. Five percent of the teen-related crashes in Ohio in 2022 involved distracted driving of which 33% resulted in injury or death. Put your phone away, adjust the radio, and have your snack before you hit the road.
- Speeding: In 2022 in Ohio, there were 5,012 speed-related crashes involving teens with 37% resulting in injury or death.
- Passengers: Research shows a teen’s risk of a fatal crash goes up in direct relation to the number of passengers in a motor vehicle. Teen drivers engaging in risky behavior triples when traveling with multiple passengers.
Don’t let one poor decision affect the way you and your peers look back on these special times. Be the best kind of influencer by talking with your peers about safe driving practices. Encourage those in the car with you to buckle up and avoid distracting the driver. Follow the speed limit and call a sober ride if drugs or alcohol were part of your night.
Together you and your peers can make this prom and graduation season the best and safest yet.
