Wednesday, October 21, 2009

National Teen Driver Safety Week - Oct 18th - 24th

It is National Teen Driver Safety Week and from US Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood's Blog (@RayLaHood) the theme of this year is not teens, but parents!

It is good for parents to focus on the week and talk about the facts with their teens...the stats are not good.

- Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens;
- More than one in three deaths for this age group involves a motor vehicle;
- More than 4,200 teens in the United States, aged 15–19, are killed in motor vehicle crashes;
11 teens, ages 16-19, die every day from motor vehicle injuries;
- 400,000 teens were treated in emergency departments for injuries suffered in motor-vehicle crashes; and
- Per mile driven, teen drivers ages 16 to 19 are four times more likely than older drivers to crash. (All stats are from 2007)

According the Century Council's website, driver error and speed are the leading cause of teen driver crashes. Century Council (@CenturyCouncil) also has the Concentration Game which is a great way to sit down with your teen and initiate a conversation about the dangers of Distracted Driving.

Talk to your teens. Driving is a big deal to them, and a big responsibility. Even if they've been driving for a year or more...talk to them. Take it from someone who knows it is a horrible feeling to get a phone call with the news that your 17 year old has been in a wreck because they were distracted. Stats show talking helps...let the talking begin!

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