National Passenger Safety Week: AAA says road safety is up to drivers and passengers

With National Passenger Safety Week underway, AAA is emphasizing that safety on the roadway is a shared responsibility.

Nationwide, passengers make up 24% of passenger‑vehicle fatalities, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

“Passengers face the same deadly risks in a crash as the driver,” said Megan Cooper, spokeswoman for AAA – The Auto Club Group, in a press release. “That’s why Passenger Safety Week matters. Everyone in the vehicle plays a role in preventing tragedy, including the passenger. If you notice unsafe driving, speak up.”

AAA recommends that passengers:

• • Speak up if the driver is speeding, distracted, or engaging in other risky driving behaviors.
  • Keep noise and distractions to a minimum.
  • Wear a seatbelt on every trip.
  • Offer to handle navigation or messages.
  • Never ride with an impaired or reckless driver.

National Passenger Safety Week also highlights the added risk of riding with an inexperienced teen driver.

AAA research shows that crash fatality rates rise 51% when a teen driver has only teen passengers in the vehicle.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than 600 people were killed in crashes involving a teen driver. Nearly two-thirds (62%) were teenagers who were riding with a teenage driver.

“Letting an inexperienced teen drive a car full of other teens is dangerous,” said Cooper, in the release. “Peer passengers increase distractions and encourage risky behavior. A simple conversation can help teens recognize the risks and make safer choices for themselves and their friends.”

AAA recommends parents of teen passengers:

• • Set expectations early: Talk with your teen about how passengers can distract a young driver and what safe behavior in the car looks like.
  • Limit the number of teen passengers in the vehicle. Fewer teens in the car means fewer distractions and less pressure on the driver.
  • Model the behavior you want: Buckle up, avoid distractions, and speak up when you feel unsafe. Teens notice what adults do.
  • Practice real scenarios. Roleplay how your teen can speak up if a friend is speeding, using their phone, or driving recklessly.
  • Make safety non-negotiable. Set clear rules about seatbelts, phone use, and choosing safe rides, and stick to them.
  • Stay involved: Ask who’s driving, who else is in the car, and how the ride went. Consistent check-ins reinforce good habits.
  • Give them an out. Let your teen know they can call you anytime for a ride if they feel unsafe, no questions asked.

The National Passenger Safety Campaign brings together over 60 organizations that believe it’s time to focus on the passenger, and not just the driver.

The goal is to promote safe driving practices and prevent unsafe ones by empowering passengers to speak up when their lives are in danger due to a reckless driver.

​In 2023, NHTSA added the campaign to its national calendar, making National Passenger Safety Week an ongoing event every January.

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