New Campaign Encourages Teens to Obey GDL Laws…or Else

The number of young drivers involved in fatal crashes has fallen by almost 50% in the last 20 years. But recently, more young drivers have been involved in fatal crashes.

2005 – 2016: Colorado averaged 64 young drivers involved in fatal crashes per year.

2017 – 2018: Colorado averaged 86 young drivers involved in fatal crashes per year, an increase of 34%.

Because teen drivers' inexperience makes them among the most dangerous drivers on the road, CDOT is launching an updated safety campaign to encourage teens to adopt safer driving practices and abide by the laws of Colorado's Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL). These laws include certain restrictions and milestones to equip teens with the experience and know-how for becoming safer, more conscientious drivers.

The campaign targets GDL-licensed teens, ages 15–18, via popular social media outlets like Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook. The aim is to educate Colorado young drivers on the three primary GDL issues, including limits passenger limits, cellphone distractions and seat belt usage.

To increase teen awareness of GDL laws, CDOT has created a series of videos promoting a fictional sales event known as the GDL Resale. Each video depicts a scenario where a teen's refusal to obey GDL laws has forced the parent to take the extreme of donning a used car salesman's persona and selling their child's car.