North Dakota
North Dakota Highway Patrol encourages driving practice for teens during Teen Driver Safety Week
BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – Getting a driver’s license and a car to go out and cruise around with friends can be an exciting achievement for teens, but this new independence can become dangerous if they’re not properly shown the rules of the road.
According to Sargeant Jenna Clawson-Huibregtse, teen drivers make up about 6% of all licensed drivers in North Dakota, and 20% of crashes happen with teen drivers behind the wheel. She said their inexperience with driving plays a large role in these teen driver accidents.
“There are those minimum requirements in order to get a license, but really, the practice shouldn’t end there,” said Clawson-Huibregtse. “We want parents or grandparents to get out with their teens and practice driving out on the interstate, out on a county road, out on gravel, in town. Practicing goes far beyond when they first get their permit.”
During Teen Driver Safety Week and October, she encourages guardians to look for opportunities around the community for their teenagers to learn more about driving.
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