CLAY COUNTY – Getting behind the wheel is a rite of passage for many teenagers with their fresh driver’s license tucked snuggly in their wallets. However, the first few years of driving are the most dangerous.

Every time we step into the car and turn on the engine, we accept a degree of risk. The statistical likelihood of a car crash is never zero. The risk is greater for teen drivers between 16 and 19 than any other age group. Teen drivers have a fatal crash rate almost three times greater when compared to drivers 20 and older. And the risk is even greater if the driver is male.

Clay County has its share of heartbreaking stories. Allena Rae Turner, of Middleburg, was 17 when she died in a car accident on Nov. 24. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the car the teenager was driving crashed into a tree, overturned and landed upside down in a retention pond on Oakleaf Plantation Parkway. Her boyfriend from Keystone Heights was a passenger, and he, too, died. He was 18.
In another tragic story, Taj Richey was 18 and an Oakleaf High student when he was involved in a car crash that forever changed his life. Richey’s left leg was amputated, and his right leg was saved after five surgeries. Richey’s friend, Keondre Moss, died at the scene. He was 16. Their car crashed over a grassy median and hit a tree on Oakleaf Village Parkway. Initial reports from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said the boys may have been racing.

The rate of automobile crashes, fatalities and injuries in Clay County is comparable to statewide statistics. According to Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, of the 2,342 crashes in Clay County, 21 have been fatal – a percentage of 0.9%. In the state of Florida, there have been 359,560 crashes, 3,007 have been fatal – a percentage of 0.8%.
The fatality rate from car crashes in the state of Florida ranks ninth in the nation, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

While the county’s rate is comparable to the statewide average now, the number of collisions, injuries and fatalities will only continue to grow as the county does – the completion of the First Coast Expressway is the most prominent, imminent example.

Cars have been seen historically as a symbol of freedom. Today, individual car ownership is realistically an obligation. Less than 1% of county residents utilize public transportation. Less than 10% of county residents carpool. Today, nearly 60% of students get to school by car.

“I do believe that younger (meaning newer) drivers are more likely to be involved in a traffic crash,” said Dylan Bryan from the Florida Highway Patrol.

Bryan pointed to some factors: lack of overall driving experience, less recognition of hazards and greater susceptibility to distractions, to name a few.

“My advice to (new) drivers is simple in writing but seems harder in application,” Bryan said, before sharing five pieces of life-saving advice:

“Pay attention to driving. Keep your mind on driving, eyes on the road and hands on the wheel. Limit the distractions while driving. That includes food, beverages, passengers, phones, music, grooming, horseplay, etc.

“Buckle up. Always wear your seatbelt. They save lives, plain and simple. Too many classmates, friends and family have been lost due to something so simple,” he said.

Among teen drivers and passengers 16–19 years of age who were killed in crashes in 2020, 56% were not wearing a seat belt, according to the CDC.
“Plan to be patient,” Bryan said. Have a plan for your trip and allow adequate time to get to your location. If you’re running behind, you’ve already planned for that and don’t need to hurry or cause a hazardous driving situation.

“Drive your car. Don’t let the advanced technology in vehicles today give you a false sense of security of traffic safety. Just because the vehicles nowadays can basically drive themselves, don’t rely on it. Drive your car.

“Don’t drive impaired, whether that be by alcohol, controlled substances, prescription medication, dietary supplements or even energy drinks. I hope our youth understand that if you feel different, you drive different.”

While the chance for fatal car crashes is never zero, following traffic laws and focusing on the road are some ways Bryan recommends that would lower that statistical likelihood as much as possible.