January 21st-28th is National Passenger Safety week. While it is easy to think about yourself, it might slip your mind to ensure your passengers are safe when in your vehicle. U.S. roadway deaths are rising at an alarming rate while people still drive recklessly. The National passenger Safety Campaign aims to promote safe driving practices and speak up when unsafe methods are used.
According to nationalpassengersafety.org, in 2020, 16 percent of traffic fatalities were passengers. 6,275 vehicle passengers were killed in crashes that year alone. Staggeringly, 56% of the deaths of teenage passengers occurred in vehicles driven by another teenager.
In 2023, the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) added the campaign to their national calendar. National Passenger Safety Week is now an ongoing event, the last week in January of every year.
Passengers can make a difference, because “one courageous voice can change one deadly choice.”