The Eastern Shore Recognizes National Teen Driver Safety Week
Salisbury, Md. — Communities on the shore are recognizing National Teen Driver Safety Week from Oct. 18-24 by putting a spotlight on the issues to prevent accidents involving teens.
“For us, every day is Teen Driver Safety Week,” said John Wright, owner of Drive On Time Driving School in Salisbury.
Safety continues to be a major issue across the country, as over 85,000 teen drivers were injured in traffic crashes in 2024 alone, and in the same year, over 2,300 people were killed in crashes involving a teen driver, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Wright said his school emphasizes students check their car before getting in, for drivers and passengers to buckle up, and knowing right of way rules, among other things.
One of the biggest areas for improvement for teen drivers generally though — limiting distractions.
“I always tell people when we’re doing instruction, we don’t listen to music or anything. Sometimes something as simple as music can be a distraction. Also, the cell phones are one of the biggest ones that are there causing issues when it comes to driving,” said Jeffery Smith Jr, a driving instructor at Widmyer Driving School in Salisbury.
Wright also spoke about the impact of cellphones in teaching new drivers.
Wright said that a major point of emphasis is on teen passenger safety as well. He added that a major risk is teen passengers in the back seats of cars not using seatbelts and teens aren’t consistent and enforcing seatbelt rules with their peers.
Taking simple precautions while driving like staying sober, following speed limits, having all passengers buckle their seatbelts, and being distraction free can help keep everyone in the car safer.
NHTSA data shows that some of the greatest dangers for teen drivers are alcohol consumption, inconsistent or no seat belt use, distracted driving, speeding, and driving with passengers.
But Wright said sharing these statistics aren’t met to scare teen drivers — it’s about guiding them to make safe choices.
“We have to be careful that, that that everything we do is put in a positive light, that if you do this, then you can avoid that. And so, we frame it in a positive way” Wright said. “It’s not be terrified of driving. It’s you learning to do it correctly and then you can do it safely.”
