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  • Best car insurance for teens 2026

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    Teens lack experience and maturity behind the wheel, making them a higher risk for having car accidents. This elevated risk drives up auto insurance premiums for teen drivers. That’s why it’s important to secure an insurance policy with strong coverage that protects your teen as well as your family’s finances at an affordable price.

    To help families find the best car insurance for teen drivers, Yahoo Finance compared 20 major auto insurers. Our analysis focused on key factors, including the average cost for teen drivers, available teen-driver discounts, coverage options, claims handling, and the digital experience. After reviewing in-depth data, our editors identified some of the best auto insurance providers that can help teen drivers and their families get the coverage they need at a cost that won’t overwhelm their budget.

    The Hartford’s budget-friendly teen-driver pricing, teen-focused discounts, helpful coverage offerings, and terrific digital experience make it our top choice for teen drivers. Parents will see additional savings if they’re AARP members. The Hartford’s national reach and online quoting make it easy to shop and compare.

    The Hartford pros and cons

    Pros

    • Cheapest rates for teenage drivers among the insurers we analyzed

    • Offers discounts for driver’s education, good students, and students away at school

    • Offers roadside assistance, accident forgiveness, and a disappearing deductible

    • The Hartford’s mobile app received a 4.7 (out of 5) average rating by users

    Cons

    • Its UBI program, TrueLane, can increase rates for risky driving behavior

    • Doesn’t offer a pay-per-mile plan or OEM parts coverage

    • Average cost for teen driver: $236 per month (lowest in our analysis)

    • Availability: 50 states and D.C.

    • Crash Network grade for claims handling: C+

    • Coverage offerings: 13 options

    • Available discounts: 11 types (three specific to teens or young drivers)

    • Digital experience score: 4.7 (out of 5)

    Learn more: The Hartford auto insurance review

    American Family is a strong contender for families with a teen driver due to its solid coverage options, teen-tailored discounts, and second-lowest rates for teen drivers among the 20 auto insurers we analyzed. We also found it a top pick for drivers after an accident or ticket, both situations that may occur as a teen driver gains experience behind the wheel. If the teen buys their own policy, a generational discount is available if a parent is already an American Family customer.

    American Family pros and cons

    Pros

    • Second-lowest rates for teen drivers in our analysis

    • Offers roadside assistance, accident forgiveness, and diminishing deductible

    • Youth discounts include good student, student away, and young volunteer

    Cons

    • Its mobile app’s average score of 3.95 (out of 5) is lower than most competitors

    • Limited availability in the U.S.

    • Its UBI program, DriveMyWay, can raise rates on riskier drivers

    • Average cost for teen drivers: $239 per month (second-cheapest)

    • Availability: 19 states (mostly located in the Midwest and the West)

    • Crash Network grade for claims handling: C+

    • Coverage offerings: 11 options

    • Available discounts: 17 types (four specific for teens or young drivers)

    • Digital experience score: 3.95 (out of 5)

    Learn more: American Family auto insurance review

    Farmers offers reasonable teen-driver pricing and teen-focused discounts to help families save even more on car insurance costs. Notable discounts include a youthful driver discount for those under 25 who are the child (or grandchild) of a policyholder who has been with Farmers for at least a year, and a shared family car discount for drivers 20 or younger in a household that has more drivers than vehicles. Farmers also offers a wide variety of coverage options so you can customize your policy to fit the family’s needs.

    Farmers pros and cons

    Pros

    • Teen prices are lower than average

    • Good student and distant student discounts are available

    • Offers accident forgiveness, diminishing deductible, and roadside assistance

    • Average mobile app score of 4.75 (out of 5)

    Cons

    • Doesn’t offer a discount for a teen driver education course

    • Their claims handling score is only average

    • Riskier drivers can see higher rates with its UBI program, Signal

    • Average cost for teen drivers: $284 per month

    • Availability: 50 states and D.C.

    • Crash Network grade for claims handling: C-

    • Coverage offerings: 17 options

    • Available discounts: 19 types (four specific to teens or young adults)

    • Digital experience score: 4.75 (out of 5)

    Learn more: Farmers auto insurance review

    Safeco may not have the lowest prices, but its discounts can help bring down the cost of car insurance for teens. Beyond the usual discounts for young drivers, Safeco offers a discount just for new teen drivers if their parents have had a Safeco policy for at least a year. It also offers a decent range of coverage, including helpful options to novice drivers, such as accident forgiveness, diminishing deductible, and roadside assistance. As part of their loyalty program, you get small claim forgiveness for claims under $750.

    Safeco pros and cons

    Pros

    • Safeco’s mobile app earned a high mark of 4.75 (out of 5)

    • Offers accident forgiveness, diminishing deductible, and roadside assistance

    • Good student, driver’s education, distant student, plus new teen driver discounts are available

    • Has a claims-free cash back program at each renewal

    Cons

    • Low grade of D+ for its claims handling

    • Teen driver prices are slightly above average

    • If found to be a risky driver, its UBI program, RightTrack, can raise your rates

    • Average cost for teen drivers: $315 per month

    • Availability: Licensed in all states and D.C.

    • Crash Network grade for claims handling: D+

    • Coverage offerings: 13 options

    • Available discounts: 6 types (four specific for teens or young adults)

    • Digital experience score: 4.75 (out of 5)

    Learn more: Safeco auto insurance review

    Travelers is a solid option for families seeking a competitive lineup of discounts and customizable coverage. Its teen rates are a few dollars above average, but Travelers offers discounts to students with good grades, teens who have completed a driver education course, and students away at school more than 100 miles from home without a car. Travelers offers a Premier Responsible Driver Plan that includes accident forgiveness, minor violation forgiveness, a decreasing deductible, and a total loss deductible waiver.

    Travelers pros and cons

    Pros

    • Offers accident forgiveness, minor violation forgiveness, and a decreasing deductible

    • Offers student away, good student, and driver training discounts

    • Roadside assistance and trip interruption coverage

    • Average mobile app score of 4.65 (out of 5)

    Cons

    • Teen driver ratings are a little above average

    • Received only an average grade (C) for its claims handling

    • Risky drivers may see a rate hike, instead of a discount, with Travelers’ UBI program, IntelliDrive

    • Average cost for teen drivers: $299 per month

    • Availability: 50 states

    • Crash Network grade for claims handling: C

    • Coverage offerings: 14 options

    • Available discounts: 14 types (three specific to teens or young adults)

    • Digital experience score: 4.65 (out of 5)

    Learn more: Travelers auto insurance review

    We evaluated 20 major insurance companies to determine which were best for teen drivers. The top spot went to The Hartford, which earned 5 stars (out of 5). The runner-up was American Family (4.9 stars), which also ranked as the top company on our overall best car insurance list.

    See the star ratings for all the insurers we analyzed for our best car insurance for teens rankings.

    Car insurance companies offer a variety of discounts to help you lower your overall premium. Families with teen drivers can receive discounts tailored to young drivers. The specifics of the discount vary by insurer, but here are the basics for the three main teen-centered discounts:

    • Driver education/training discount: Teens who complete an approved driver training course may qualify for a discount. This discount encourages novice drivers to hone their skills, reducing their risk of accidents.

    • Good student discount: For full-time students under 25 who maintain good grades. Insurers typically require a B average or higher. Academic success is seen as a sign of responsibility, which insurers correlate with safer driving.

    • Student away discount: For families with a student who lives 100 miles or more away from home and doesn’t have regular access to the household vehicles. With the student having limited access to household vehicles, their overall risk to insurers is lower.

    Some auto insurers offer other discounts for teens or their families. Here are some we have found, though availability can vary by state:

    • AAA: New young driver discount for when a driver under 20 is added to an existing policy.

    • Allstate: Discount for completing the teenSMART driver safety program.

    • American Family: Young volunteer discount for drivers under 25 who complete 40 hours of volunteer work per year. Generational discount for young adults starting their own policy, and a parent is an American Family policyholder.

    • Farm Bureau: Drivers under 25 who complete a Farm Bureau Young Driver Safety program are eligible for a discount.

    • Farmers: Youthful driver discount for adding a driver under 25 who lives in the household and is the child or grandchild of a Farmers policyholder. Also, a shared family car discount is available for a driver aged 20 or younger when there are more drivers than vehicles in the household.

    • Liberty Mutual: Their new teen driver discount is available when you add a teen driver to your policy.

    • Progressive: Teen driver discount for adding a driver 18 or younger to a Progressive policy that has been active for at least a year.

    • Safeco: New teen discount for Safeco policyholders of at least one year who add a teen driver to their policy.

    • State Farm: Teens may earn a discount by completing State Farm’s Steer Clear driver training program.

    Learn more: Car insurance discounts: 17 ways to save

    Teen auto insurance costs vary by insurer, making comparison shopping essential to find the lowest rates. For insurers in our evaluation, the average monthly premium for a full coverage policy with a teen driver is $296, according to data from the auto insurance marketplace Savvy Insurance Solutions.

    Learn more: Cheapest car insurance for teens

    There are common rating factors that car insurance companies use to determine rates for teenagers. Costs vary among insurers because each company weighs these risks differently.

    Here are the common factors car insurance providers use when calculating rates:

    Learn more: Car insurance rates are climbing. Here are 4 reasons why and 11 ways to save.

    When you have teen drivers on your policy, it’s not the time to skimp on coverage and limits. Drivers ages 16 to 19 have an accident rate nearly four times that of drivers age 20 or older, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Because teen drivers are at high risk of being in an accident, it’s recommended that you carry a full coverage car insurance policy with higher liability limits.

    A full-coverage policy includes state-required coverages, such as liability insurance, as well as comprehensive and collision coverage.

    Liability insurance pays for bodily injury or property damage you cause others in an accident, up to your limits. States have minimum liability limits, but it’s wise to choose higher limits that are less likely to be exceeded. Limits of 100/300/100, which stands for $100,000 of bodily injury liability per person, $300,000 of bodily injury liability per accident, and $100,000 of property damage liability per accident, are considered decent.

    Liability insurance doesn’t cover your car; for that, you need collision and comprehensive coverage. Collision coverage pays for repairs or replacement of your vehicle after an auto accident. Comprehensive coverage pays for damage caused by severe weather, fire, vandalism, theft, hitting an animal, or falling objects. Collision and comprehensive coverage come with a deductible, an amount that is deducted from a claim payout.

    States may require other coverages that cover medical expenses if you are injured in an accident, such as personal injury protection, medical payments, or uninsured motorist coverage.

    You can also add on other coverage types to tailor your auto policy to your specific needs. Here are three coverage types that may be especially helpful if you have a teen driver:

    • Accident forgiveness: Forgives one accident, meaning your rates won’t increase after your first accident claim.

    • Diminishing deductible: Lowers your collision deductible amount over time for safe driving. For instance, an insurer will lower your deductible by $100 for each year you maintain a clean driving record. For example, a $1,000 deductible could be reduced to $500 after five years.

    • Roadside assistance: This add-on typically includes services like towing a disabled vehicle, changing a flat tire, jump-starting a dead battery, and lockout assistance.

    Learn more: Most common types of car insurance explained

    Here are tips for finding the best teen auto insurance.

    Having a teen on your policy means the odds of them having an accident are high, so it’s smart to choose higher liability limits. Include collision and comprehensive coverage if you want protection for your car. And, consider add-on coverage options that could help you save in the long run, such as accident forgiveness.

    Once you know what coverage and limits you want, shop around with at least three companies to see who is offering the coverage you want at a price you can afford. Comparing car insurance quotes is the best way to find the lowest rates.

    Some discounts are automatically applied as you fill out a quote form, but others you have to ask about. For example, you usually have to speak to an agent to get a good student discount or student away discount. Asking an agent if you’re eligible for discounts not already applied can help you find more ways to reduce your auto insurance premium.

    Take time at least once a year to evaluate your car insurance needs and make sure your policy’s coverages and limits still fit them. If you make changes during the year, such as buying a car, make sure to adjust your policy accordingly. You may also want to shop around again and switch car insurance companies if it makes sense for your finances.

    Learn more: Does buying car insurance online save you money?

    The Hartford received 5 stars and was ranked the best car insurance company for teens in Yahoo Finance’s analysis of 20 auto insurers. American Family was a close second, earning 4.9 stars. To determine which company is best for your situation, identify your needs and comparison shop with multiple auto insurers.

    The Hartford offers the cheapest insurance for teen drivers with a cost of $236 per month, according to Yahoo Finance’s analysis. American Family came in second at $239 per month. To find the cheapest car insurance for your teen driver, you’ll want to shop around since rates vary based on your family’s specific information, such as location, vehicle, and coverage choices.

    The most common discounts offered to teen drivers include a good student discount (for maintaining a B average or better), a driver education discount (for completing an approved course), and a student away discount (for full-time students far away from home without a car). Ask your agent if these or other discounts are available to help lower the cost of adding a teen to your policy.

    Tim Manni edited this article.

    To identify the best car insurance companies for teen drivers, Yahoo Finance evaluated 20 insurers across price, teen-specific discounts, claims performance, digital experience, and protective add-ons. Each company was scored using a standardized rubric designed to reflect what matters most to families adding a young driver to a policy.

    All factors were converted to a standardized point scale and combined into a composite score for each insurer. Rates and teen-specific discounts carried the most weight, followed by claims performance, app experience, and protective add-on coverage.

    1. Teen rates: 40% of score. The average rate estimates are provided by Savvy Insurance Solutions (“Savvy”). Savvy operates a marketplace for home and auto insurance, plus an agency licensed in all 50 states. Estimates are generated using Savvy’s in-house machine learning models based on over 3 million data points, and include more than 15 of the largest insurance companies in Savvy’s nationwide data set. Savvy creates estimates by running models against multiple inputs to the parameters of interest. For instance, the “teen driver” estimates were created by adjusting the policyholder age input into the pricing model while keeping all other variables steady from the baseline for “full coverage.” Full coverage car insurance includes liability insurance, any other state required coverage, plus collision and comprehensive coverage.

    2. Teen-focused discounts: 35% of score. Insurers were evaluated on the availability and quality of discounts most relevant to young drivers. Points were awarded for each of the following: good student discount, driver’s education discount, student-away-from-home discount, and usage-based insurance (UBI) programs. For UBI programs, we differentiated between programs that could raise a teen’s premium based on the UBI data versus those that did not. Additional points were awarded for other teen-oriented discounts, such as family multi-car discounts, safe-driving rewards, and new-driver training incentives.

    3. Protective, teen-focused add-on coverage: 15% of score. We awarded additional credit to insurers that offer coverage features that can reduce financial risk for families with teen drivers: accident forgiveness, roadside assistance, and diminishing deductibles. Each available add-on contributed incremental points to the insurer’s total.

    4. Claims handling performance: 5% of score. We incorporated grades from the 2025 CRASH Network Insurer Report Cards, which reflect feedback from collision-repair professionals about how insurers handle real-world claims. Companies with higher CRASH scores – indicating fairer repair processes and better support for policyholders – received more points.

    5. Digital experience: 5% of score. Managing a policy, tracking discounts, and filing a claim often happens through a mobile app. We averaged Apple App Store and Google Play ratings to create an app-experience score. Insurers with highly rated, easy-to-use apps earned more points.

    Unless stated otherwise, the estimates above are provided by Savvy Insurance Solutions (“Savvy”). Savvy operates a marketplace for home and auto insurance, plus an agency licensed in all 50 states. Estimates are generated using Savvy’s in-house machine learning models based on over 3 million data points, and include more than 15 of the largest insurance companies in Savvy’s nationwide data set. This includes data from more than 2 million insurance accounts connected through Trellis Connect, an in-house technology allowing consumers to “link” their insurance accounts before searching for insurance, and tens of thousands of policies bound by Savvy’s own agents. It takes into account a myriad of factors to create predictions, such as:

    • Policyholder age

    • Number of vehicles

    • ZIP code

    • Vehicle age

    • Insurer

    • … and more

    Savvy creates estimates by running models against multiple inputs to the parameters of interest. For instance, the “teen driver” estimates were created by adjusting the policyholder age input into the pricing model while keeping all other variables steady from the baseline for “full coverage.” The models enable hyper-personalized estimates that take into account a plethora of user attribute permutations (e.g., teen drivers in specific states, teen drivers with new vehicles, teen drivers in specific states with new vehicles) to provide individuals with a unique and tailored experience. The charts above are a subset of the kinds of personalization Savvy can do.

    The following are definitions used by Savvy when providing its rate estimates for various types of coverage.

    Full coverage car insurance: A policy with comprehensive, collision, and liability coverage.

    Average policyholder: A 48-year-old driver who owns a 13-year-old vehicle and lives in an average-income ZIP code.

    Senior driver: A 70-year-old policyholder with full coverage car insurance.

    Good driver: Drivers across all coverage types, vehicle types, and locations who have no tickets, accidents or DUIs.

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  • Mom films toddler’s first store trip without her—not knowing it’s her last

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    A Texas mom captured the moment her 22-month-old daughter left for a trip to the store without her, not knowing it would be her last. 

    In a reel on Instagram, mom Naïma Hill filmed her toddler, Aveline or ‘Avy’ as she was nicknamed, heading out the door with her dad for a quick Home Depot errand. 

    That morning, David had gently encouraged Avy to go on a “daddy adventure” without mom. “She was excited to go but also a bit nervous,” Naïma told Newsweek.

    “I was always recording things to show my kids when they grew up. Who knew it would actually be for me to bawl over watching in the middle of the night, missing my babe.” 

    Days later, in May 2023, Naïma and her two children, Avy and Kade, then 4, were in a devastating car crash. The Hills were on their way to visit family overseas when they were hit by a vehicle from behind going 66 miles per hour. Naïma and Kade survived, but Avy and the family dog, Kemosabe, were killed. 

    Avy, Naïma said, was her “barnacle baby”—never far from her mother’s side. “I miss the small things—her going every place with me, even if it’s just for a minute she wanted to be in my arms. Avy was full of sunshine and sass. Happy to be outside, being held by her momma, [she] loved her family, her dog, had her favorite books, loved her horse Baba, and loved babies.” 

    In the aftermath of the crash, Naïma said that people often ask how she copes following such tragedy. 

    “Child loss is not something you get over, ever,” she said. “When something like this happens, the entire world is dark and everything is bad, so I am desperately trying to find and do good in this world, bring her sunshine back a little.” 

    What has helped, Naïma said, is finding friends who allow her to be honest without judgment. “With these few friends, we were able to say we’ve all never gone through this, and we don’t know the words that will hurt or feel OK, but our intentions and hearts are in the right place,” Naïma said. “We trust each other, and so let’s say whatever is on our mind and not be afraid to say the wrong thing and, most importantly, be called out for it.” 

    Naïma has also found purpose in Avy’s Sunshine Tribe (AvysSunshineTribe.com), a nonprofit she founded to honor her daughter and bring light back into the community.  

    Through it, Naïma organizes Avy’s Sunshine Kite Festival, a free annual event in Dallas inspired by Guatemala’s Sumpango kite tradition, where families decorate and fly kites to connect with lost loved ones.  

    The festival raises funds toward the family’s goal of building an inclusive community playground in their Cedars neighborhood. 

    Naïma also sells Avy-inspired art, stickers, and apparel to support the project. “I share my story and grief and raw of loss trying to expose more people to this deep pain so everyone can feel like they can always talk about their losses and carry them with them forever,” she said. “Spreading Avy’s sunshine is all I can do.” 

    Naïma continues to speak openly about grief, hoping to make conversations about loss less taboo. “On the back of our kite festival shirts, it says, ‘Ask me about my kite,’ which translates to something, like ‘Ask me about my person,’ so that, when people ask, you can freely tell them about your lost loved one. We always say, ‘Love them out loud forever.’ I always tell people to take pictures and videos because you’ll lose so many memories without them.” 

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  • Fall is the most dangerous season to drive in Maryland and Virginia – WTOP News

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    Autumn brings many things to mind, but to 39 states around the country, including Virginia and Maryland, it also means car crashes.

    Autumn brings many things to mind, from changing leaves to pumpkin spice, but to 39 states around the country, including Virginia and Maryland, it also means car crashes.

    Data from CARFAX shows that fall is the most dangerous of the four seasons to drive.

    The states with the most crashes in the fall include California, Texas, New York, Illinois, Georgia, North Carolina, Michigan, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Missouri and Wisconsin.

    A lot of people may be surprised that winter is not the most dangerous season. Em Nguyen, the public relations director for Carfax, told WTOP that Maryland and Virginia have the smallest number of crashes during winter.

    “It could be fewer cars on the road during the holiday times,” Nguyen said. “It could be that the DMV just has more preparedness for that type of weather.”

    So, why would fall be so dangerous for so many people around the country?

    Nguyen blamed a lot of the things that are so closely and fondly associated with autumn, like the falling leaves.

    “Braking on wet leaves can make a car travel more than twice as far as braking on dry roads, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,” Nguyen said. “So that’s a very big factor.”

    Another issue is the shorter daylight hours, which means a lot of people are driving home after dusk when it’s very dark outside.

    “It’s a prime time for accidents,” Nguyen said. “The visibility worsens, and so does that reaction time.”

    The amount of cars on the roads also pick up during fall thanks to kids being back in school.

    Another major issue that helps make fall a dangerous time of the year to be on the roads are frisky animals.

    “Fall is the peak mating season for deer and for other wildlife, so there’s a lot more animals on the road, which then greatly increases the number of collisions we see as well,” Nguyen said.

    The number one thing everyone can do to be safer on the road, she said, is to slow down.

    “Speed is a significant factor in car accidents, especially fatal accidents,” Nguyen said. “Number two, just keep an eye on your car’s maintenance … like oil changes and critical recalls.

    Tire pressure, checking car battery, wiper fluid levels and wiper blades also need to be check out, along with getting a winter survival kit to keep inside your car.

    Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.

    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Jimmy Alexander

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  • Annual Pedestrian and Bicycle Crash Report Questions Effectiveness of Cleveland’s Vision Zero Program

    Annual Pedestrian and Bicycle Crash Report Questions Effectiveness of Cleveland’s Vision Zero Program

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    click to enlarge

    Bike Cleveland

    A buffered bike lane on Detroit Avenue.

    There was 75-year-old Mike hit while walking a crosswalk on West 14th St. There was 15-year-old Sariya hit near East 105th by a driver with a suspended license.

    And there was the driver in a stolen Jeep trying to escape police on Lee Road, one who crashed into the front of the Keratin Barber College. Four people were injured.

    “Oh, the car went through the entire front door,” Tracy, a Keratin employee, said, recounting that day last March to Scene. “I watched the whole thing. The car came right down the street and right into our business.”

    Last year, 550 Clevelanders were hit by bars while cycling or walking around the city, Bike Cleveland found, according to a report released Tuesday. Nine of those involved in accidents died, a relative unchanged statistic since Vision Zero, Cleveland’s attempt to eliminate fatal pedestrian and biking accidents by 2032, was implemented two years ago. (In 2023, there were 10 deaths.)

    The report, which Bike Cleveland compiled using 911 calls and data culled from the Ohio Department of Public Safety, details a city still reaching for safe infrastructure.

    The numbers are likely obvious to routine navigators of Cleveland’s hardscape. Most of 2023’s accidents occurred in dense areas with wide streets, where drivers have ample room to change lanes and flout speed limits. About a third of all accidents occurred downtown, or on the city’s inner West or East sides. (Seventy-nine of these involved children.)

    At least as far as we know.

    Jenna Thomas, the data analyst at Bike Cleveland who helped produce the bulk of the report, said that many accidents with pedestrians and cyclists often go unreported, either due to hit-and-runs or police skepticism. That, and the city of Cleveland, she said, submits actual crash reports, called OH-1s, about “45 to 60 days after crashes occur.”

    Other Ohio cities like Cincinnati, Columbus and Toledo, she said, send those reports “within one to five days on average.”

    “And Vision Zero relies on those reports,” Thomas said in a phone call. “I mean, we don’t really have good data. Like, in 2023, about half of all crashes, I think, don’t ever get reported.”

    Like 40 other U.S. cities, Cleveland dove into Vision Zero, a safer-streets initiative first adopted in Sweden in 1997, as a focused way to best spend dollars on buffered bike lanes, speed bumps and other traffic calming and safety efforts.

    And, save for ten speed tables, roundabouts and some walker-friendly signals, most of Vision Zero’s progress since 2022 has been policy-oriented, with Cleveland’s Complete & Green Streets law last summer doing most of the guiding. As did $3 million in American Rescue Plan Act money put aside for street reshaping: into narrowing roads, building better walk signaling.

    “All this takes time,” Thomas said. “But we’re certainly anxious to see more things installed.”

    In 2020, eight years after installing its own Vision Zero policy, Chicago’s traffic fatality rates pretty much matched those in 2012.  From 2015, when Los Angeles implemented its own, to 2018, pedestrian fatalities increased by 75 percent. The only major applause heard might be in San Francisco, where crashes “decreased significantly” in 2019 and 2020, after two years of policy changes. (Mind you, in a city where 40 percent of its commuters use public transit.)

    “Claiming that no price can be placed on human life is a noble approach,” Jay Derr, a transportation policy advisor at the Reason Foundation, wrote, “but one that is unrealistic in a world where policymakers have limited resources to solve problems.”

    But don’t tell that to Ward 3 Councilman Kerry McCormack. The writer of the Complete & Green Streets legislation in 2022, McCormack believes that Cleveland will see a decline in such accidents soon after construction is cleared—like the $30 million Lorain Midway, or the supposed four to five buffered bike lanes, he said, that could pop up downtown this summer.

    “And you don’t even have to have the data,” he said. “People are out of control in their cars, they’re out of control. Your signs can be great. Marks on the road. But we still need real road infrasture to force drivers to pay attention.”

    As for that infrastucture, McCormack and Thomas turn to the suggestions from Vision Zero: to new pedestrian wait isalnds, to raising crosswalks and adding curb extensions to high risk blocks. Or, as the report says, matching “evolving national standards for street design.”

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    Mark Oprea

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  • Dramatic video shows deputy save baby after fatal crash

    Dramatic video shows deputy save baby after fatal crash

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    Dramatic body and dash camera footage captured the moment a Florida sheriff’s deputy saved the life of a 6-month-old baby after a motorcycle that was going more than 100 mph slammed into the vehicle the infant was in with her mom and sister.

    Kayleigh Foley, the baby’s mother, told local media that Charlotte County Deputy Sergeant Dave Musgrove is a “hero” for saving her 6-month-old daughter, Lola, after the crash earlier this month. The motorcyclist died in the wreck and Lola remains hospitalized from her injuries, according to the sheriff’s office.

    Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) shared a more than 4-minute clip of Musgrove’s heroic actions online, which went viral on social media where it was reshared by multiple users.

    Collin Rugg, the co-owner of the Trending Politics news website, was one of the social media users to post the clip, sharing the video on X, formerly Twitter, where it quickly went viral on Sunday.

    In just a few hours after it was shared by Rugg, the clip amassed nearly 350,000 views and 4,000 likes.

    Sensitive content warning: The below video contains content that some viewers may find difficult to watch.

    The fatal crash happened shortly after 7:30 p.m. on February 8, when Musgrove said he was driving on South McCall Road in Englewood, Florida, when he was passed by a “motorcycle traveling at a high rate of speed,” according to a February 16 statement by the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO). The motorcyclist was estimated to be driving in “excess of” 100 mph, the sheriff’s office said.

    Just seconds after witnessing the motorcycle speed by, Musgrove said he then saw a “cloud of dust and smoke” ahead of him in the median area of Regina Drive, and realized that the bike had collided with a vehicle at the intersection, according to CCSO.

    As Musgrove approached the scene, he saw the “shattered” motorcycle, which had come to rest in the left lane and was unoccupied, and said the other vehicle involved in the crash was between 25 and 40 feet away, CCSO said.

    The motorcyclist was thrown from his bike and was “wedged into the rear window on the driver’s side of the vehicle,” CCSO said. Inside the vehicle were Foley and her two young children, 6-month-old Lola and her 3-year-old daughter, according to the sheriff’s office, which stated that the motorcyclist’s body had landed on top of the infant.

    In bodycam footage shared online by CCSO, you can hear the fear in Kayleigh Foley’s voice as she pleaded for Musgrove to help her children.

    “My baby! I need my baby,” she can be heard yelling amid the chaos.

    A Florida deputy saved the life of a 6-month-old baby, who was not breathing when he pulled the infant out of the wreckage of a fatal accident. Authorities said a motorcyclist was traveling at an…


    Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office

    The video shows Musgrove first removing the older child from her booster seat in the vehicle’s back seat before he flags down another driver for help to hold the toddler so he can rescue the baby, CCSO said.

    “At this time, some bystanders approached and helped to move the motorcyclist off of the infant and cut the seat belt so that Sgt. Musgrove could remove the car seat and check on the baby,” CCSO said. “The infant had no pulse and was not breathing.”

    Musgrove quickly removed the baby from the car seat and began chest compressions, the sheriff’s office said, adding that despite not observing any signs of life at first, the deputy continued compressions “until the child finally inhaled deeply.” Paramedics at the scene then took over lifesaving efforts and said they had detected a pulse. Musgrove can be heard in the footage telling first responders to give the mother an update on her baby’s condition.

    “The actions of Sgt. Musgrove are to be commended,” CCSO Sheriff Bill Prummell said. “His poise and calm demeanor in a scene of chaos and tragedy ultimately saved the life of a beautiful child. I want to thank the bystanders who came to his aid as well, allowing him to focus on the immediate need of the baby.”

    CCSO urges people to “please ride responsibly.”

    “This was a senseless accident that resulted in a life lost, but it would have been two lives had Dave not been there,” the sheriff said. “Still, I offer my thoughts and prayers to the friends and family of the motorcyclist and I ask that you keep this mother and her children in your prayers.”

    The infant’s recovery is expected to be long, as the little girl is in stable condition but intubated and sedated, according to an update on the family’s GoFundMe page.

    “The baby is alive and receiving treatment thanks to Sgt. Musgrove’s efforts prior to EMS arriving,” CCSO said, noting that both the other child and the mother are doing well.

    During an interview with Florida station WFLA, the baby’s mother and grandmother said they owe Musgrove “undying gratitude.”

    “Because of officer Dave Musgrove, she’s still here,” said Lisa Foley, the baby’s grandmother.

    “He’s our hero,” Kayleigh Foley added.

    “He is,” Lisa Foley said. “He will forever be our hero. And undying gratitude from every person in our family. We will never repay him for what he did, because what he did for us was life-changing.”