Sunday marked the beginning of National Teen Driver Safety Week, and its arrival reminds us of a sobering fact: traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers in America.
Too many young people are driving without their seat belts, under the influence, or with cell phones in hand. Consider some numbers:
- 16-to-20-year olds are twice as likely to be killed in a crash involving alcohol, two and a half times more likely to die while driving or riding unbuckled, and three times as likely as the average American to die in a speed-related crash.
- 18% of all teen motor vehicle crash fatalities in 2008 involved distracted driving.
- One in three teens who text say they have done so while driving.
- 70% of 13-to-15-year-olds killed in traffic crashes in 2008 were not using seat belts--the highest percentage of all age groups.
- Mile for mile, teenagers are involved in three times as many fatal crashes as all other drivers.
These statistics are alarming. And, while overall traffic fatalities have declined in recent years, teenagers are still our most inexperienced drivers--and they're the most likely to engage in risky behaviors behind the wheel.
At the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), we're using a diversified safety approach that supports good laws, strong enforcement, education, and parental involvement to reduce the number of young driver fatalities on our roadways.
To date, 46 states and the District of Columbia have a three-stage GDL system in place, and analysis shows that these laws will lead to substantial decreases of crashes for young drivers--anywhere from 20% to 50%.
We're also working to combat a relatively new factor that is playing a role in too many car accidents: distracted driving. As Secretary LaHood has said on countless occasions, cell phone use behind the wheel is an epidemic on America's roadways-- especially among our youngest drivers.
That's why the slogan for this year's National Teen Driver Safety Week is “Keep your hands on the wheel, your eyes on the road, and your thumbs off your phone’s key pad.”
It's encouraging that 28 states and DC already have laws on the books banning cell phone use by novice drivers. But, good laws aren't enough--we need to change minds and habits. Texting and talking on cell phones may feel like second nature to a tech-savvy generation, but it has no place on our shared roadways.
That's where families come in. Just as we count on parents to tell their kids to never drink and drive and always use seat belts, we're counting on them again to teach young people to put their cell phones down while driving.
As parents, we can and must set the example. Each of us must take responsibility for ourselves and our loved ones. So, when it comes time to hand over the keys to the young driver in your life, please make sure you have set standards for safe driving--in words and in action.
It's every driver's responsibility to use our roadways safely. But our work doesn't stop there. It's also our responsibility to ensure our youngest and most at risk drivers have the tools and experience they need to make good decisions behind the wheel. The stakes couldn't be higher.
The graduated steps program for teen licensing seems like a great idea to reduce accidents involving teen drivers. Also, the high schools should have peer programs put in place where teens talk to other teens about the problems and consequences connected with activities in the car and behind the wheel. Teens will listen to other teens more than they will pay attention to adults sometimes. There needs to be a culture created on campus that there are some things you just don't do like talk on the phone and text while driving or drinking and driving; and somethings you always do like wear the seat belt. And then get everyone to buy into the safety culture by pointing out that it saves lives and the life that gets saved could be yours. Best wishes, Michael E. Bailey.
Posted by: Michael E. Bailey | October 24, 2010 at 06:22 PM
Maintain a Parent Teen driving contract or logbook. It could be as simple as a set of dos and don'ts from parents to their teens. A logbook is helpful to limit access to the vehicle and monitor your teens use and responsibility toward driving and care.
Posted by: driving lessons Bromsgrove | August 07, 2011 at 08:24 AM
Key Facts and Statistics
In 2010, 3092 people were killed in crashes involving a distracted driver and an estimated additional 416,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving a distracted driver.
18% of injury crashes in 2010 were reported as distraction-affected crashes.
In the month of June 2011, more than 196 billion text messages were sent or received in the US, up nearly 50% from June 2009.
11% of all drivers under the age of 20 involved in fatal crashes were reported as distracted at the time of the crash. This age group has the largest proportion of drivers who were distracted.
40% of all American teens say they have been in a car when the driver used a cell phone in a way that put people in danger.
Posted by: CarTran.net | August 07, 2012 at 05:57 PM