October 28, 2026 | The Times ArgusIt’s been heartbreaking to see one Vermont community in so much grief. In a matter of weeks, the Harwood Union School District has lost two students in tragic vehicle accidents.
Fourteen-year-old freshman Gracie Dunbar, of Duxbury, died after a single-vehicle crash in Warren on Saturday. The driver of that vehicle, also a Harwood student, is 16.
The tragedy comes only a month after Harwood 11th-grader Vinny Viola, 16, died in a single-vehicle crash on Vermont Route 100 in Warren. He was driving at the time of the crash on Sept. 22.
Harwood officials this week say they are coordinating efforts to offer support at local schools, where siblings of the students attend. The high school principal and the district’s superintendent offered this guidance to parents as the news spread through the community: “Please make time to check in with your children, listen to their questions, and let their school know if they need additional support.”
Last week was National Teen Driving Week.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2,162 drivers ages 15 and 20 died in traffic crashes nationwide in 2024. More than 5,200 people died in crashes involving young drivers that year, including young drivers, their passengers, occupants of other vehicles and people outside vehicles.
For Vermont, the numbers are especially concerning.
In 2024, 18.6% of all traffic fatalities in Vermont occurred in crashes involving a driver ages 15 to 20, compared with 13.4% nationally. That placed Vermont third among states in the percentage of traffic deaths associated with young-driver crashes, behind Hawaii and Idaho. The comparable figures were 13.5% in New Hampshire and 9.6% in both Maine and Rhode Island.
According to the NHTSA news release, “These numbers show how substantially young-driver crashes contribute to the overall traffic death toll in Vermont. They should prompt an urgent conversation about how we prepare young drivers for the responsibility of driving and how we protect everyone who shares the road.”
“The Vermont Highway Safety Alliance works with partners across the state to reduce crashes, injuries and fatalities on Vermont roads. We encourage parents, caregivers, schools, law enforcement and community leaders to make teen driver safety a shared priority,” said Diana Gugliotta, director of the Vermont Highway Safety Alliance.
Here are some things to consider:
What parents can do to give their teen a safe start:
— Parents and guardians should be very specific in setting the rules for driving, access and responsibility for use of a vehicle. Rules should be solidified in print and posted in a visible area as a prominent reminder of the terms of their agreement. Family-specific rules, such as financial considerations can be included, such as refilling the gas tank, or the teen’s responsibility for a portion of the insurance costs.
— Set a clear curfew. Vermont is the only state in the U.S. without a nighttime driving restriction for junior drivers as part of its graduated driver licensing system. Therefore, it is the parent’s role to restrict late-night driving in a household “curfew.” A nighttime restriction gives junior drivers time to develop their skills under less challenging conditions before taking on those added risks.
Driving at night brings additional risks, including reduced visibility, fatigue and difficulty judging distances and identifying hazards. Late-night driving may also expose young drivers to higher risk as a result of other impaired or unsafe road users.
— Insist on buckling up. Every seat, every trip. The vehicle should not move until everyone is buckled up. That means the driver and every passenger, in the front seat and the back. In 2024, 53% of young passenger-vehicle drivers ages 15 to 20 who died in crashes and had known restraint use were not wearing seat belts. Seat belts are among the simplest and most effective ways to reduce the risk of serious injury and death.
— No impaired driving. It is illegal for anyone under 21 to consume alcohol or cannabis, and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is unacceptable at any age. In 2024, 29% of young drivers ages 15 to 20 who died in traffic crashes had a blood alcohol concentration of at least 0.01. One in four had a blood alcohol concentration at or above the legal impairment threshold of 0.08. Parents should make expectations clear: Never drive impaired by drugs or alcohol, never ride with an impaired driver, and always seek a safe ride rather than take a dangerous chance.
— Put distractions away. Driving requires a driver’s full attention. Text messages, notifications, phone calls, food and other activities can take attention away from the road at critical moments, and electronic devices are restricted under Vermont’s Junior Driver Law. Encourage teens to activate their phone’s “Do Not Disturb” or driving mode before starting the vehicle. The safest message is simple: When you are driving, driving is your only task.
— Slow down. Speeding reduces the time available to recognize a hazard, react and stop safely. For inexperienced drivers who are still developing judgment and vehicle-control skills, those lost seconds can make the difference between avoiding a crash and suffering life-changing consequences. Obey posted speed limits and remember that safe speeds may be lower when roads, weather or visibility are less than ideal. Parents can also choose to track their teens via apps that display the speed they are traveling.
Ultimately, driving is a privilege. Parents need to make it easy for teens to ask for help. A young person who has been drinking feels unsafe with a driver or realizes they are too tired to drive should know they can call a trusted adult for a ride without fearing that the immediate response will put them in greater danger.
While National Teen Driver Safety Week was an important reminder, so are the heartbreaking conversations in our grieving communities. Let’s all talk about safe driving, model it every day, and support the protections that help young drivers get home safely.
For more information, go to VermontHighwaySafety.org.