According to the 2011 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey, teenagers are driving more safely than they did just 10 years ago. Among the results of the survey were some very interesting statistics including that use of seat belts increased from 74 percent to 92 percent for teenage drivers and riders.

Also surprising, those who admitted they had been riding with a driver who had been drinking alcohol is down to 24 percent from 40 percent and drunk driving reports decreased to 8 percent from 17 percent.

Those are huge declines in three major areas considered by public safety experts to be prime cause of teen driving deaths. Fatal traffic collisions are still most common among teen drivers and vehicle crashes remain the number killer of teenagers.

Anything which can be done to reduce the number of teen deaths should be attempted, but so far, no tried and true method for decreasing teen driving deaths has been found. Our Online Traffic School is used by many parents and teen drivers themselves to help prepare inexperienced drivers for the rigors of being a defensive driver. In some states drivers can actually get a discount on their driving insurance for completing our online course. This is a further incentive for teen drivers to get certified online.

While traffic collisions remain a number one killer of teenagers, insurance companies, public safety advocates and parents continue to struggle with the best possible methods for helping create a safer environment for them and the people who ride with them and share the roads with them.