It can be exciting and terrifying all at the same time when your teen is ready to learn to drive, but it can also be rewarding when they learn to be a safe driver.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, the leading cause of death in teens ages 16-24 in the United States is car crashes.

The main factors are driver inexperience, speeding, distracted driving and improper or careless turning.

The highest risk for teens to be involved in a crash is in the first six months and 1,000 miles.

Last year in Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Crash Information Tool reports 16-and 17-year-old drivers were involved in 4,952 crashes and 26 fatal crashes.

Parents, when teaching your teen to drive, be sure to set a good example by obeying all the traffic laws.

When your teen is driving, they should be wearing their seat belt, have 100 percent of their focus on their driving with no distractions, be courteous to other drivers, and never drive impaired.

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Editor’s note: Tracy Fox is the traffic safety coordinator with Highway Safety Network. She can be reached at tfox@hsnetwork.org, on Facebook @safetyfox or on Instagram at highwaysafetynetworkd5. This is a PennDOT funded project.