Automakers Are Getting Serious About Teen Driver Safety

In a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration study in 2022 of teen driving habits, researchers learned that in that year, 811 teen drivers died in crashes, and a total of 2,514 teen drivers were involved in crashes where someone died. It’s long been a problem, and it doesn’t seem to be getting much better.

Auto manufacturers and safety foundations often used the occasion of National Teen Driver Safety Week, which ended October 26, to roll out new programs, or remind us of resources that are already out there.

Here’s a sample of what’s available:

Perhaps the most aggressive application comes from General Motors, with “Teen Driver” technology, which aims to help encourage safe driving habits.

“Teen Driver was formed upon review of data from the field, including the metrics that we know are leading causes for fatalities among teen drivers,” said Suzanne Johansson, GM’s head of child safety. “Regulating aspects of vehicle operation can help mitigate some of the distractions and risks that can adversely impact first-time and inexperienced drivers.”

With Teen Driver technology, a parent or guardian can designate one of the car’s key fobs as the Teen Driver key. “When this key is used to start the vehicle, a suite of safety features is automatically engaged and cannot be turned off,” GM says.

With the Teen key in use, the audio system or any paired device stays muted until all front-seat passengers buckle their seatbelts. In some models, “Buckle to Drive” prevents the driver from shifting out of Park until all front-seat passengers are buckled up. Parents can also set a maximum volume level for the audio system.

A speed warning can be set for any speed between 40 and 75 mph, and an 85-mph speed limiter can be enabled. On some models, the vehicle’s acceleration power can be limited when the Teen key is in use. Super Cruise driver assistance technology is blocked when the Teen key is in use, and traction control, stability control, blind-spot monitoring, and automatic emergency braking cannot be turned off.

And at the end of a teen drive is the Teen Driver Report Card. After every drive using the Teen key, a parent or guardian can access a PIN-protected readout showing the distance driven, the maximum speed the vehicle reached, and the number of times the accelerator pedal was floored. The system also shows whether safety systems like Traction Control or Stability Control were triggered.

Johansson says the Report Card gives parents and guardians the opportunity to have a discussion about safe driving habits with their teens. “Making it part of your conscious decision-making while you’re driving can help to mitigate risky behavior,” she says. “It’s a good tool to promote discussions that can help kids understand the importance of safe driving practices.”

Teen Driver comes as standard equipment on dozens of models from Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC.

Sticking with OEMs, Honda has made safe teen driving a priority with Honda Safety Driven, a partnership with Discovery Education to help address the nearly one-third of annual traffic fatalities in the U.S. involving drivers under the age of 25. The STEM-focused educational initiative launched in October of 2023 with a “virtual field trip” for students in grades 3-12, bringing them inside Honda’s Automotive Safety Research Facility in Raymond, Ohio and the Driving Simulation Laboratory at The Ohio State University. To date, this virtual field trip has reached more than 250,000 students, and educators are expected to continue to use it each new school year as part of their evolving curriculums.

Last month, Honda Safety Driven launched two new safety education resources online and through Discovery Education’s network. The first is a new interactive crash test video game called “Crash Course” that “aims to entertain and educate students about the physics of a car crash and how different factors can affect the level of risk to passengers. Ultimately, it will give them a better understanding of how their decisions could reduce their own risk on the road.”

Second, a new “digital lesson bundle” called “Pedestrian Safety” will teach students about road safety for those not behind the wheel. The lesson bundle includes interactive content to teach students road rules and how to read signs and signals. An educator guide, presentation, family action plans, and accompanying e-bike and e-scooter safety student activity take the learning further.

“Too many young drivers die in preventable crashes every year, devastating families and communities across the U.S., and Honda continues to explore new ways to avert these tragedies,” said M.J. Foxley, Safety Strategy Leader at Honda. “Honda is targeting zero traffic fatalities involving our vehicles by the year 2050, and Honda Safety Driven puts resources in the hands of educators, students and families to create the next generation of responsible drivers and passengers.”

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and Consumer Reports has named “safe, affordable” vehicles for teens for 2024, ranging from a 2014-2017 Mazda 3 ($5800) to a new Lexus NX ($39,600). “It’s exciting to see crash avoidance tech like automatic emergency braking filtering through the fleet and into affordable used models, including many priced under $15,000,” said IIHS Research Scientist Rebecca Weast. “With a little knowledge and patience, families can find the right vehicle for their new driver without spending all their savings.”

There are 58 used vehicles and 22 new vehicles on the list. Of those 58 used vehicles, those with American nameplates are the GMC Terrain, Chevrolet Equinox and Ford C-Max hybrid. All 22 of the new vehicles are Japanese or Korean brands.

The lists “exclude sports cars and anything with excessive horsepower relative to its weight. Such vehicles make it too easy to speed and can tempt young drivers to take risks. The lists also have no minicars or vehicles under 2750 pounds because small, light vehicles may not provide enough protection in crashes with other vehicles.”

Of course, there’s also active instruction to help teach teens the principles of driving dynamics and how to avoid an accident in the first place.The Skip Barber Driving Academy is one such program, with half-day and full-day courses available around the U.S.