While Overall Highway Deaths Decline, Teen Boys Remain Stubborn

While highway deaths in Tennessee have declined overall in recent years, the state has struggled to bring down the number of teen boys who die in car accidents.

Kendall Poole directs the Governor’s Highway Safety Office. He says when it comes to issues like speeding, the driving habits of young teenage boys are especially hard to change.

“And if you look particularly in rural areas across the state of Tennessee, we see young male pickup truck drivers who still, for whatever reason, refuse to wear their seatbelt.”

Poole also noted young drivers can overestimate their ability to handle distractions like text messages and MP3 players.