Vehicle collisions are the leading cause of death for teenagers and Bakersfield Police wants to inform the public about National Teen Driver Safety Week.
Teen Driver Safety Week from October 15-21 encourages parents to focus their attention on setting rules for their teen driver before allowing them to get behind the wheel. Parents can help stop dangerous and sometimes deadly behaviors such as driving under the influence, driving without seatbelts, speeding, carrying extra passengers and distracted driving.
In 2015, nearly 2000 drivers age 15 to 18 were involved in fatal collisions nationwide, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
That same year, 283 teens in California were behind the wheel at the time of fatal collisions. Roughly two thirds of those young drivers were found to be at fault.
Vehicle collision deaths are ahead of all other types of injury, disease or violence.
