Teenage Driving Dangers

Throughout the past 4 years, more than 680 teenagers have been killed in road accidents that have been investigated by the North Carolina Highway Patrol1 . In NC, Johnston County has the highest rate of teen driving fatalities across the state2 . In 2007, Johnston County led the state with 11 fatalities, with the next highest number of deaths at only 2 in Harnett County3 . Speed has been cited as the leading cause of many of these crashes. However, other factors in Johnston County may also be contributing to its increased rate of teen-auto deaths, such as the area’s growth, its vast collection of rural and winding roads, and the simple fact that teens are not paying enough attention to the roads3 . Johnston County is currently in the process of implementing a county-wide “Safe Driving Program” in order to help reduce the inflated number of auto-related teen deaths within the county. The Johnston County sheriff’s office has increased its patrols as a part of its Operation Safe Teens program and they are now in discussions with the Johnston County school district in hopes of implementing educational programs to help reduce speeding and reckless teenage driving3 . Just this past Saturday morning (May 15, 2010), yet another Johnston County teenager died when the car she was riding in crashed after the driver swerved to miss a deer and slammed into a tree4 .

1. 1. http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/7637161/
2. 2. http://johnstoncounty.nc.schoolwebpages.com/education/components/docmgr/default.php?sectiondetailid=85243&
3. 3. http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/3570306/
4. 4.http://www2.wnct.com/nct/news/state_regional/article/johnston_county_students_mourn_death_of_one_of_their_own/142428/