Breaking News for Culpeper and Warrenton Accident Victims

Five Teens Died in Car Accidents during National Teen Driver Safety Week

Posted on Nov 03, 2008

Last week, five teenagers were killed in auto accidents across the state despite the fact that it was National Teen Driver Safety Week, which was observed by insurance officials, police and educators.

Three teens died on October 19, 2008, which was the first day of the National Teen Driver Safety Week. The five deaths occurred in the counties of Amherst, Augusta, Gloucester, Lee and Loudoun. A 15-year-old passenger, 16-year-old driver, two 17-year-old drivers and an 18-year-old passenger were among the victims, according to Virginia State Police.

Col. W. Steven Flaherty, state police superintendent, was quoted in an article as saying, “It is disheartening and frustrating to see such loss of life involving our young people.”

In this year alone, there have been 77 teen fatalities caused by car accidents, compared with 92 deaths in 2007. The recent deaths are in contrast with insurance studies that show a decade-long decline in teen deaths that is attributed to graduated licensing laws and educational efforts. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety produced a study that showed that teen traffic deaths had declined from 9,940 in 1978 to a 30-year low of 5,156 in 2006.

The same study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety also revealed that the traffic-related death rate for individuals ages 13 to 19 had dropped by 41 percent, from 29 to 17 per 100,000. Russ Rader, an institute spokesman, commented that teen deaths and crashes have dramatically dropped over the last decade because many states, including Virginia, have passed graduated driver’s licensing laws.

In 2001, Virginia established a graduated license for teenagers after numerous deaths in auto accidents in Northern Virginia. The law mandates that teenagers complete an approved driver education course and hold a learner’s permit for at least nine months, before applying for a Virginia driver’s license. As an additional measure to protect teenagers, licensed teens under 18 are not allowed to drive between midnight and 4:00 AM.

More driver education programs are now focusing on students and parents.