SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) - Missouri is ranked second to last in teen driving safety, according to a new study. The Centers for Disease Control also recently highlighted risk factors for teen drivers.

“You’re controlling a 4,000-pound piece of machinery and you’re responsible for it,” said driving instructor Todd Vermillion.

Vermillion runs Premier Driving Academy in Springfield, but prior to that, he served in the Missouri State Highway Patrol for over 25 years. He spent a long time in MSHP working on traffic crashes.

Now, he teaches younger generations how to drive properly.

“Most of the students we work with are 15, 16, 17-year-old high school students.”

He also said buckling up should always be a priority.

“Seatbelts keep us right here in our seat so that the airbag can then dep

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