The National Safety Council will mark its 20th National Teen Driver Safety Week Oct. 18-24; a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) report counted 5,247 people killed in U.S. crashes involving drivers ages 15 to 20 in 2024.
Of those fatalities, 2,162 were drivers ages 15 to 20. Another 893 were passengers riding with young drivers, 1,526 were occupants of other vehicles and 666 were classified as nonoccupants. The total was 5,617 in 2023. The 2024 figure covers everyone killed in crashes involving at least one driver in that age group, not only young drivers.
The council traces the campaign’s start to 2007 and identifies the 2026 event as its 20th edition. This year’s observance begins Sunday, Oct. 18, and ends Saturday, Oct. 24.
Families can use DriveitHOME, a free NSC program developed with General Motors. Its resources include online instruction for parents on safe driving and local Graduated Driver Licensing rules, weekly lessons and an app for recording practice time. A New Driver Deal agreement lets parents and teens set driving rules and responsibilities, including curfews and passenger limits. NSC also provides community materials such as videos, posters and infographics, with campaign resources in English and Spanish.
NHTSA says many people in this age group are getting licenses for the first time, and many are covered by graduated licensing programs as they learn. NSC points to limited driving experience as a major safety risk and emphasizes parental involvement in helping teens practice and set rules.
An NSC analysis of a May 2025 survey conducted by BODEN in partnership with the council included 1,000 U.S. respondents ages 25 to 70. The findings say 82% of parents surveyed felt able to teach safe-driving habits, while 55% reported familiarity with teen-driver safety practices.
