Despite a week-long national effort to promote safer teen driving, Virginia has still lost five young men and women to fatal traffic crashes since Saturday, including a Buffalo Gap High School student.

Each victim was between 15 and 18 years of age. Three of the five teens died on the first day of National Teen Driver Safety Week, which runs from October 19 to 25.

Last year in Virginia, a total of 92 teens ages 15 to 19 was killed in traffic-related crashes.*

"It is disheartening and frustrating to see such loss of life involving our young people on Virginia's roads at a time when they are just granted the privilege and responsibility of driving a motor vehicle," says Colonel W. Steven Flaherty, Virginia State Police Superintendent. "It is especially difficult when those crashes could have been prevented through the use of a safety belt or obeying the posted speed limits."

Safety belt restraints were not used in three of the fatal crashes and it is undetermined if restraints were used in a fourth. In addition, speed was a factor in two of the crashes and alcohol was a cause in one collision.

The five fatalities occurred in the counties of Amherst, Augusta, Gloucester, Lee and Loudoun. Those killed included a 15-year-old passenger, a 16-year-old driver, two 17-year-old drivers and an 18-year-old passenger.

"We want to remind young drivers that getting behind the wheel of a car is not something that should be taken lightly. Inexperience and age are already working against them on the road, so driving defensively and without distractions are necessities for all teens," adds Flaherty.

So far this year, preliminary reports show 77 teens between 15 and 19 have been killed in traffic crashes compared to 92 in 2007. There were 50 fatal wrecks involving teen drivers in 2007. The DMV/Virginia Highway Safety Office says there have been 48 already this year.

With National Teen Driver Safety Week in progress until October 25, Virginia State Police wants to remind young drivers to slow down, avoid distractions, buckle up and obey all speed limits.