State transportation officials are paying more attention to teen drivers this week.
Wisconsin is among several states taking part in a national effort to get teens to be safer behind the wheel. Dennis Hughes with the state Department of Transportation says traffic crashes are the number one killer for teenagers and more attention needs to be drawn to the risks they face when they get behind the wheel.
Hughes says that, on average, a driver or passenger under the age of 19 is killed every hour in Wisconsin. He says that’s largely the result of inexperience and immaturity when driving.
Hughes says young drivers with passengers face even more danger. The risk of being in a fatal crash doubles for each teenaged passenger in the vehicle with a young driver behind the wheel.
Hughes says young drivers need to focus on being alert and always buckling up.
AUDIO: Andrew Beckett reports (MP3 :59)
