A Model for Preventing Serious Traffic Injury in Teens

In Brief Traffic crashes are the leading cause of injury, disability, and death in the youth of the United States. Risky driving, behind-the-wheel behaviors when operating a motor vehicle in a manner that may lead to harm or injury to oneself or others, contributes to the human and economic cost of risky driving. An acute or critical care hospitalization provides an ideal opportunity for nurses to initiate prevention strategies with parents and teens to reduce risky driving. Traffic crashes are the leading cause of injury, disability, and death in the youth of the United States. This article discusses methods and strategies for decreasing the risky driving of teenagers.