As an employer, keeping your drivers safe on the road is a top priority and young employee drivers should be no exception. With National Teen Driver Safety Week upon us (Oct. 20-26), we should look at ways to safeguard our younger workforce behind the wheel and provide education to employees so they can share what they learn at work with family members at home.

Young workers – in the age range of 16-24 – still are developing their driving skills and gaining experience. At least in part due to inexperience, they may be less likely than more mature drivers to recognize and respond to traffic risks. Young drivers have the highest crash rate, based on miles driven, in the general population, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. From 2011 to 2015, 470 workers ages 16-24 died in motor vehicle crashes at work. This accounted for 26% of all work-related deaths in this age group.

As an employer, how can you keep young employee drivers safe at work? The CDC offers these tips:

• Ensure you are following federal child labor laws and check your state’s child labor laws for possible additional restrictions. There are driving time limits for teen drivers as well as radius rules and guidelines regarding the types of vehicles a teen can operate.
• Confirm your young driver has a valid driver’s license and has completed a state-approved driver education course if the driver is under age 18.
• Before your young worker gets behind the wheel, make sure their job follows state graduated driver licensing laws.
• Make certain your young driver knows the safety features of the vehicle.
• Ensure your young driver is aware of all your driver policies, including seat belt and cell phone policies. Revisit those policies with your drivers on a regular basis.

Get more safety tips from the National Safety Council teen driver website: DriveitHome.