Our Mission
A major focus of NCAST is promoting awareness of safety issues specific to younger motorists.
Teen drivers are especially at risk on the roads, with vehicle crashes the leading cause of death in America among those under 21.
The inexperience and impulsiveness of teen drivers is a significant reason for their high crash rates, making important the safety features of the vehicles they drive as well as getting plenty of supervised driving practice.
SPOTLIGHT:
NATIONAL SEAT BELT DAY
NOVEMBER 14
One of the safest choices drivers and passengers can make is to buckle up. Many Americans understand the lifesaving value of the seat belt – the national use rate was at 91.9% in 2023. Seat belt use in passenger vehicles saved an estimated 14,955 lives in 2017. Understand the potentially fatal consequences of not wearing a seat belt and learn what you can do to make sure you and your family are properly buckled up every time. The benefits of buckling up are clear:
If you buckle up in the front seat of a passenger car, you can reduce your risk of:
- Fatal injury by 45%
- Moderate to critical injury by 50%
If you buckle up in a light truck, you can reduce your risk of:
- Fatal injury by 60%
- Moderate to critical injury by 65%