Teen Using Her Accident To Warn Other Teens About Unsafe Driving

Monday marks the beginning of National Teen Driver Safety Week.

The Department of Transportation is encouraging parents to have conversations with teens about how to be safe behind the wheel.

Kaylyn Barbour was 16 years old when she went for a truck ride with friends. She was sitting in a passenger seat without her seat-belt fastened when her friend behind the wheel lost control of the vehicle.

Doctors told her she'd be paralyzed from the chest down after the accident. Now she's using the experience to try and prevent the same thing from happening to other teens.

Kaylyn recently took part in the Teen Video challenge in conjunction with Teen Driver Safety Week and Safe Kids Worldwide and now her award winning submission and story are being shared around the country.

Kaylyn uses her accident as a platform to talk to teens about unsafe driving behaviors.

"It doesn't take long to put your seat-belt on but it could make a huge difference or save your life or prevent a life changing injury like mine," said Kaylyn Barbour. 

AAA representatives say on top of buckling up there are other things parents can do to promote safe habits.

"Parents have to take prime responsibility. In the five years that it takes to learn to drive well and put in to place special precautions consequences, expectations when it comes to driving and help their teens learn to drive," said Leslie Gamble, AAA.

AAA said when a teen driver is on the road with teen passengers, the fatality rate for all people involved in a crash increased 51 percent.