Colorado State Patrol helps teens, parents recognize red flags during National Teen Drivers Safety Week

National Teen Drivers Safety Week is a time focused on encouraging our youngest drivers to make smart choices behind the wheel.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2,276 people were killed in crashes involving a teen driver aged 15-18 in 2020. Colorado State Patrol developed a list of "red flags" parents and caregivers can use to see if their teens are driving safely behind the wheel.

The list includes carpooling, not wearing a seatbelt, answering calls or texts while driving, eating and putting on makeup. Many of these seem like common sense, but CSP says that's not so clear for inexperienced drivers.

"There is so much to learn about driving on the roadways," said Colorado State Patrol Public Safety Sgt. Troy Kessler. "There is so much going on, especially today with all the distractions and teens lack the experience to navigate some of the hazards on the roadway, and we want them to be safe and bring awareness to the topic."

One of the biggest ways parents can teach their younger drivers how to be safe on the road is to be a great example.

"Even at a really young age, when your kids are 6, 7, 8 years old, they are look at what you do behind the wheel," said Colorado Department of Transportation Traffic Safety Communications Manager Sam Cole. "That means if you're not buckled up or if you are on your phone, you're driving distracted, your teen when they become a teen driver will do the same thing."

Colorado State Patrol says the top five factors that played a role in a deadly crash involving driving between the age of 16 to 21 were distractions, exceeding the speed limit, lane violations, driving drunk, and a failure to yield to the right of way.

Talking to your kids about safe driving is worth it. CDOT says, since 1999, the number of teens killed in car crashes in Colorado has dropped by more than 50%.