The road safety organization and family safety app encourage parents and teenagers to make safer driving an ongoing conversation, not a confrontation. 

October 2026 — Getting a driver’s license gives teenagers new freedom. It also brings decisions about speed, phones, passengers and when to say no to an unsafe ride. 

For National Teen Driver Safety Week, October 18–24, We Save Lives and HeyPolo are encouraging families to start discussing those decisions before the keys are handed over—and keep talking as teenagers gain experience. 

The message builds on We Save Lives’ Drive the Conversation campaign: helping young people recognize risks, speak up and ask for help, whether they are driving or riding with someone else. 

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2,320 people were killed in crashes involving drivers aged 15–18 in 2024, including 752 teenage drivers. Speeding was a factor for 33% of teen passenger-vehicle drivers involved in fatal crashes. 

Behind those figures are choices families can discuss long before a teenager faces them on the road. 

Five conversations to have before handing over the keys 

We Save Lives and HeyPolo encourage parents to make time for five practical conversations: 

1. The responsibility that comes with a license. Discuss your state’s graduated licensing requirements, including restrictions on passengers and nighttime driving. Keep practicing together and model the habits you expect your teenager to follow.
2. Your passengers, your choices. Talk about how to respond if friends encourage speeding or other risks. Remind teenagers that they can refuse a ride or ask to leave a car if they feel unsafe.
3. Phones, speeding and other dangerous choices. Agree on putting phones away, setting directions before leaving and pulling over safely if something needs attention. Discuss why alcohol, drugs and tiredness can make driving unsafe.
4. Seat belts, every trip. Make buckling up a condition of every journey, for everyone in the car. Agree that the car does not move until everyone is wearing a seat belt.
5. You can always call me. Make a clear promise: if your teenager feels unsafe driving or riding with someone else, they can call for help. Getting them home safely comes first; discussing what happened can wait.

Use driving insights to start a conversation 

Passing a driving test is the beginning of learning to drive independently. Families can continue supporting that learning through regular, calm conversations about what went well, what felt difficult and what could improve. 

HeyPolo’s Driving Safety Score provides insights into behaviors including speeding, phone use, harsh braking, rapid acceleration and cornering. Families can use those insights to discuss specific habits and agree on practical goals, such as putting the phone out of reach before starting a trip. 

The emphasis should be on understanding and progress, rather than chasing a perfect score or using it to punish a young driver. Technology can provide information; it does not replace practice, parental guidance or safe decisions behind the wheel. 

HeyPolo also offers location sharing, arrival alerts and crash detection. Families are encouraged to agree together on how they use these features as teenagers gain independence. 

Keep the conversation going 

Teen driver safety is also passenger safety. Young people need to know they can challenge unsafe behavior, decline a ride and call someone they trust, even when doing so feels awkward. 

This National Teen Driver Safety Week, We Save Lives and HeyPolo encourage families to make one commitment: start the conversation before the next journey, and keep it open afterwards. 

About We Save Lives 

We Save Lives is a nonprofit road safety organization founded by Candace Lightner. Its work focuses on preventing drunk, drugged and distracted driving through advocacy, education and encouraging people to speak up about unsafe behavior. Website: https://wesavelives.org 

About HeyPolo 

HeyPolo is a privacy-first family safety app built by the team behind Surfshark. Its features include location sharing, arrival alerts, Driving Safety Score and crash detection, helping families stay connected as their loved ones gain independence. 

Website 

Media enquiries We Save Lives:  Candace Lightner, CLightner@wesaveLives.org, 703-296-4708l

HeyPolo: Sinead Lambert, sinead.lambert@surfsharkteam.com