Teen Driver Safety Week runs October 18–24, and New York has good news and a warning. The good news is that the state was again ranked the safest in the country for teen drivers. The warning is that young drivers still get into far more than their share of crashes, and the reasons are surprisingly predictable.
What the DMV Is Saying This Week
In an October 15 release, the New York State DMV said teens make up about 7% of drivers involved in crashes even though they hold only about 4% of licenses. The DMV named the three biggest contributors to crashes in New York: failure to yield the right-of-way, following too closely, and speeding. It also urged young drivers to buckle up, put the phone away, and never drive impaired. The ranking comes from a WalletHub study the DMV highlighted in September.
None of those three mistakes requires bad luck. Each one is a habit, and habits can be learned the right way from day one. That’s true whether you’re 16, 19, or 35 and just getting your first license.
Mistake #1: Failing to Yield
Right-of-way mistakes tend to happen at intersections, driveways, and merges, when a driver misreads who goes first or assumes the other driver will wait.
- Scan before you go, even on a green. Before you go, check left, right, and left again for turning cars, red-light runners, and pedestrians.
- Left turns are the big one. Wait for a gap you’re sure of. If you’re unsure, it’s not a gap.
- Look for people, not just cars. New York law requires every driver to use due care to avoid hitting pedestrians and bicyclists (VTL § 1146), even when the other person is in the wrong.
- Make eye contact. Never assume another driver or a pedestrian has seen you.
Mistake #2: Following Too Closely
New York’s rule is simple: don’t follow another vehicle more closely than is “reasonable and prudent” for your speed, the traffic, and the road conditions (VTL § 1129). In practice, that means:
- Use the three-second rule. When the car ahead passes a fixed point, count. If you reach that point before “three,” back off.
- Add more time at night, in rain, and on wet leaves. Fall roads can be slick in ways that are hard to see.
- Leave yourself an escape route. Space in front gives you room to stop, and space beside you gives you somewhere to go.
Mistake #3: Speeding
According to the DMV, young drivers had the highest share of speeding-related fatal crashes in 2024. Nearly 40% of male drivers and about 20% of female drivers ages 15 to 20 who were involved in fatal crashes were speeding. New York’s basic speed law also says you can’t drive faster than is reasonable for current conditions, even if you’re under the posted limit (VTL § 1180).
- Speed shrinks your reaction time. Every extra mile per hour adds distance before you can stop.
- Don’t keep up with traffic if traffic is too fast. Stay right and let others go.
- Leave earlier. Most speeding comes from running late.
The Other Three: Phone, Belt, and Sober
The DMV’s tips cover three more habits worth locking in early:
- Put the phone down. The DMV notes that looking at a text for 5 seconds at 55 mph is like driving the length of a football field with your eyes closed. New York prohibits holding a phone for a call (VTL § 1225-c) and using a handheld electronic device (VTL § 1225-d) while driving. Set your music and navigation before you start, and use Do Not Disturb.
- Buckle up every trip. New York requires the driver and every passenger 16 or older to wear a seat belt (VTL § 1229-c).
- Drive sober. Under New York’s zero-tolerance law, a driver under 21 with a blood alcohol content of just .02% is breaking the law (VTL § 1192-a). Impairment from cannabis or other drugs is illegal too (VTL § 1192).
For more habits to build early, see our guide to the most common mistakes new drivers make.
Getting Your License in New York: The 5-Hour Course
Before you can schedule a road test, New York requires you to complete the 5-hour Pre-Licensing Course, unless you’ve finished a 48-hour high school or college driver education program (NY DMV).
If you’re 18 or older and have a photo learner permit, you can take it online. DDI’s New York 5-Hour Pre-Licensing Course is approved by the NYS DMV and covers New York vehicle and traffic laws, habits and skills for safe driving, the risks of driving under the influence, safe highway driving, and aggressive driving and road rage. You work at your own pace, and your completion is reported to the DMV electronically so you can schedule your road test. Prefer Spanish? Take the course in Spanish.
Parents of drivers under 18: the DMV doesn’t allow junior (Class DJ) applicants to take the online course. They need a classroom or live virtual-classroom course from a driving school, high school, or college. Under-18 drivers must also wait at least six months after getting their permit to schedule a road test, and must log at least 50 hours of supervised driving, including 15 after sunset (NY DMV).
Sources
- NYS DMV, “DMV Acting Commissioner Christian Jackstadt Advises Teens to Slow Down, Put Down the Phone, Don’t Drive Impaired and Buckle Up” (Oct. 15, 2026): https://dmv.ny.gov/news/dmv-acting-commissioner-christian-jackstadt-advises-teens-to-slow-down-put-down-the-phone-dont
- NYS DMV, “New York Named Safest State for Teen Drivers for Third Year in a Row” (Sept. 16, 2026): https://dmv.ny.gov/news/new-york-named-safest-state-for-teen-drivers-for-third-year-in-a-row
- NYS DMV, The Driver Pre-Licensing Course: https://dmv.ny.gov/driver-license/the-driver-pre-licensing-course
- NYS DMV, Online Pre-Licensing Course Providers (lists Defensive Drivers Institute, LLC, in English and Spanish): https://dmv.ny.gov/business/driver-training/online-pre-licensing-course-providers
- NYS DMV, Complete Pre-Licensing Requirements: https://dmv.ny.gov/driver-license/complete-pre-licensing-requirements
- N.Y. Vehicle and Traffic Law §§ 1129, 1146, 1180, 1192, 1192-a, 1225-c, 1225-d, 1229-c (via newyork.public.law, links above)
