CDOT announced Tuesday the “Keep Your License Safe” campaign.
The campaign is a way for teens to remind their peers about staying safe on the roads. Through social media efforts, high schoolers are sending out informative messages about Colorado’s Graduated Drivers Licensing (GDL) laws.
The licensing laws, which require seat belt use, passenger limits and restricted cell phone use, apply to all new adolescent drivers.
This campaign is crucial for youth because car crashes are the leading cause of death for children ages 15 to 18 in the U.S, according to a news release announcing the campaign.
CDOT’s campaign uses short videos made by teens to highlight the importance of each GDL law to their peers. The social media campaign began Tuesday on platforms like TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook and Instagram.
Anyone interested in viewing the campaign videos can find them here.
Sam Cole, CDOT’s communications manager, said the campaign will target teens across the state through these videos to learn about safe driving.
“This campaign gives teens an opportunity to learn about safe driving from each other, with an empowering message about making safe choices behind the wheel,” Cole said in the release.
The campaign coincides with a 13% increase in fatalities among 15- to 20-year-old drivers from 2015 to 2019, according to CDOT.
Although the campaign is targeted at youth, Cole said it is important for the whole community to help new drivers during the phase of learning.
“Youth who feel connected with and have trusted relationships with adults, such as a parent or caregiver, coach or teacher, are more likely to succeed in school and make healthy choices – including safe driving choices,” Cole said.
Resources on Colorado’s GDL laws include the Colorado GDL Toolkit and Parent/Teen Driving Contract.
In 2019, the majority of young drivers in fatal crashes had an intermediate driver’s license, CDOT reported. More than twice as many teen boys died while driving than girls that year.
GDL laws were put into effect to reduce the risk of fatalities among new drivers by allowing youth to safely gain experience on the roads before receiving full driving privileges.
Ever since 2005, when GDL laws were strengthened, Colorado has seen a significant decrease in traffic deaths involving 16- and 17-year-olds, according to the release.
CDOT reported that seat belt usage is the lowest among teen drivers, and majority of teens involved in fatal traffic crashes weren’t buckled up. The mandatory seat belt law helps to combat this, making it a primary enforcement measure for drivers under 18 to buckle up, as well as their passengers. That means police can pull young drivers over for anyone in the car not wearing a seat belt.
Another law prohibits teens from using a cell phone while driving. Texting while driving makes a driver 23 times more likely to crash, according to CDOT.
Data shows that young drivers are two-and-a-half times more likely to engage in potentially risky behaviors when driving with one teenage peer, compared to when driving alone, according to the release.
CDOT figures indicate the top contributing factor in 2019 for fatal and injury crashes among drivers ages 15 to 20 was inexperience, followed by distracted driving.
To eliminate distraction, teens under 18 are not permitted to have passengers under the age of 21 for the first six months of being a licensed driver. Only one passenger under the age of 21 is allowed for the following six months. Exceptions are made for driving with siblings and emergency situations.
For more information on CDOT’s campaigns, programs, data, tips or resources, go to www.codot.gov/safety.