During National Teen Driver Safety Week (Oct. 16-22), Scarff Ford in Auburn urges parents to emphasize vehicle seatbelt use for their teens.

“One of the most important things parents can emphasize to their children is the importance of buckling up,” said Way Scarff, third-generation owner and operator of the family business. “The first thing you can do is set the right example for your children by buckling yourself up every time you get in the car.

“Then, when your teens are ready to drive, remind them that, regardless of whether they’re driving across town or just around their neighborhood, wearing seat belts is still the easiest and best way to protect themselves and their passengers from severe injury or death in the event of a crash.”

National Teen Driver Safety Week was dedicated to raising awareness and seeking solutions to unnecessary teen deaths on the road. It was established by Congress in 2007 and is held annually on the third week of each October. This year’s theme is supporting parents in teaching their teens to drive.

Scarff Ford cites the following data to highlight the importance of seat belt use among teen drivers and their passengers:

In Washington

Between 2004 and 2008, 1,003 fatal crashes involving drivers age 16-25 occurred in the state of Washington. More than one-third (35.2 percent) of young male passenger vehicle drivers involved in a fatal crash were not using a seat belt compared to one-sixth (15.9 percent) of young female drivers.

Among Washington teen passengers during this same period, there were 889 vehicle occupant deaths involving young drivers. About 43.9 percent were not using seat belts.

(Source: Washington Traffic Safety Commission)

Nationwide

Despite widespread efforts aimed at increasing seat belt use among teens, observed seat belt use among teens and young adults (16 to 24 years old) nationally stood at 76 percent in 2006 – the lowest of any age group.

In 2007 alone, 4,540 teenagers aged 16 to 20 years old were killed in motor vehicle crashes, and more than half (2,502) were not wearing their seat belts at the time of the crash.

In contrast, during that same year, 72 percent of the passenger vehicle occupants involved in fatal crashes who were wearing their seat belts survived the crash.

(Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Association)