PennDOT Urges Young Drivers to Keep Prom, Graduation Season Safe

With graduation and prom season underway and summer vacation fast approaching, PennDOT is reminding young drivers to avoid distractions and focus their full attention on the road.

According to PennDOT, from 2006 to 2010, there were 114,627 crashes in Pennsylvania involving 16- to 19-year-old drivers, resulting in 952 deaths. Nearly half of those crashes resulted from drivers speeding, driving too fast for conditions, driver inexperience, driver distraction or improper or careless turning.

From 2006 through 2010, 3,386 crashes involved a teen driver who had consumed alcohol, according to a release from PennDOT.

Pennsylvania’s Zero Tolerance Law carries serious consequences for those under 21 who consume any amount of alcohol.  The law sets the Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) at .02 for minors to be charged with Driving Under the Influence (DUI).  If under age 21, a person convicted of DUI will face a jail term of two days to six months, have their license suspended for at least one year and pay a fine of $500 to $5,000.  
 
PennDOT says crash risks can be reduced through practice, limiting the number of passengers riding with a teen driver, parents setting a good example for the teen driver, obeying all rules of the road and exercising common sense. 

For more information on young driver safety, visit PennDOT’s highway safety website, www.DriveSafePA.org and select the Young Driver link under the Traffic Safety Information Center.