Teen Car Crash Fatalities on the Rise in Arizona
Local driving school created to keep inexperienced drivers safe during back-to-school season, all year round
DrivingMBA, a locally-owned and operated driving school with offices in Scottsdale and
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Glendale, is focused on keeping teens safe on the road this back-to-school season. Inexperience, distractions and having peers in the car on the way to and from school increase the risk of vehicle incidents.
Research shows Arizona is the 10th deadliest state for teen drivers in the U.S., with high rates of fatal crashes and impaired driving. According to a recent report from the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), 2023 saw the second-highest car crash fatalities on record, many of which involved teens.
“The statistics are staggering and frightening for teen drivers on the roads today,” said Maria Wojtczak, Owner of DrivingMBA. “As we go back to school, incidents of car crashes involving teens increase because of the sheer amount of time teens are on the roads and the level of distractions they encounter to and from school each day.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control, the risk of motor vehicle crashes is higher among teens ages 16-19 than any other age group. This age group has a fatal crash rate of almost three times as high as drivers 20 and older and the crash risk is particularly high during the first months of licensure.
A recent study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety also shows between 2013-2022, 543 Arizonans teen drivers (age 15-18) were involved in fatal motor vehicle crashes. In 2022 alone, 72 Arizona teen drivers were involved in fatal motor vehicle crashes.
“As parents, we spend a lot of money on our teens,” said Wojtczak. “From Starbucks runs and the latest sneakers to club sports and extracurriculars, teens are expensive. But most parents don’t consider the invaluable investment to keep kids safe on the roads with comprehensive driver education and training and real-world behind-the-wheel experience.”
DrivingMBA helps teens gain critical driving skills before they are on the road thanks to innovative simulation technology. DrivingMBA students begin in a Driving Fundamentals Simulation Lab where they learn how to drive on a fully interactive simulator with guidance from a trained instructor, all before they hit the Valley roads. Once the simulation lab is completed, students transfer their skills to on-road instruction and continue to build a basic understanding of driving. When ready, they are exposed to various hazardous situations in an advanced Defensive Driving Simulation Lab. In these labs, students learn from their mistakes in a safe and controlled environment.
“At DrivingMBA, our focus is not on when a student is eligible to get their driver’s license, but are they actually ready to get their license,” said Wojtczak. “We wouldn’t expect our kids to be experts in math or foreign language after just a few study sessions, so why would we think these kids are skilled drivers after the minimal state requirements to acquire a license? That’s where our programs come into play.”
DrivingMBA has two Valley locations including the Northwest Valley location at Il Palazzo at Arrowhead Ranch, 5940 W. Union Hills Drive, Suite D210 in Glendale, and the original Scottsdale location at 17787 N. Perimeter Dr., A115.
ABOUT DrivingMBA
DrivingMBA was established in 2003 to address the alarming increase in the number of teen injuries and deaths as a result of vehicle crashes in the state of Arizona. Initially intended to serve as a supplement to general driver’s education classes, DrivingMBA has grown to become the premier driver education curriculum in the state. DrivingMBA provides classroom and on-road instruction, integrated with advanced technology simulation training labs – a feature that distinguishes DrivingMBA from traditional driving schools. Programs at DrivingMBA include rules of the road prep courses, online coaching courses for parents, defensive driving, adult driver training, senior driver assessments and corporate fleet driving programs. DrivingMBA also specializes in exceptional learner programs for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, ADD, anxiety, bipolar disorder and other challenges. DrivingMBA is locally owned and operated. For more information visit, www.drivingmba.com
