Hank Silverberg, wtop.com
WASHINGTON – It’s been five years since 16-year-old Hunter Garner of Spotsylvania County died in a car crash on Spotswood Furnace Road, along with Brandon Bates, also 16, who was driving.
That crash, which police attribute to speeding, is now highlighted in a video aimed at driver safety for teens as the summer driving season arrives.
Car crashes are the number one killer of teenagers in the United States, according to multiple automobile safety organizations.
Each month between Memorial Day and Labor Day, 422 teens die, higher than the average 363 a month who are killed the rest of the year, according to the video, produced by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
The video comes out just days after an AT&T survey which indicated 97 percent of teens know texting while driving is dangerous, but 43 percent admit they do it anyway.
Teen driving safety is now on the National Transportation Board’s “Ten Most Wanted List,” the video states. It directs viewers to other sites that can help guide teenagers who are getting behind the wheel.
Learn more at Governors Highway Safety Association.
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