Irving and AAA Texas hold teen driver safety fair

National Foundation for Teen Safe Driving (NFTSD) is joining with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and other organizations across the country to promote National Teen Driver Safety Week.

A auto crash enactment at MacArthur High in Irving. “Don’t stop protecting them now that they can drive”.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for 14-18 year olds in the U.S. (and in Iowa).

2,614 teen passenger vehicle drivers, ages 15-19, were involved in fatal crashes.

While the reasons for this decline are not entirely clear, comments AAA, research has shown that strong state GDL systems have contributed substantially to reductions in injury and fatal crashes of drivers aged 15-17, and economic factors including high gas prices and the economic recession of 2008 resulted in substantial declines in teen driving and teen crashes during that period. WisDOT offers a Parent’s Supervised Driving Program to help teens become safe, smart and skilled drivers. It challenges them to think about drinking, driving, personal safety, the responsibility of making mature decisions, and the impact their decisions have on family, friends, and others. Cooper advises drivers to check the condition of their tires before every lengthy road trip and at least monthly. If it is still in your line of sight and is too much of a temptation, lock it way in your glove box or put it in the back seat where it won’t be visible and available to you. In addition, teens are prone to distracted driving.

In Louisiana, all passengers must be properly restrained, regardless of seating position, and police can stop motorists if anyone in a vehicle is observed disobeying the seatbelt law. One Text or Call Could Wreck It All. State law prohibits drivers with an instruction permit or probationary license, which includes many teenagers, from using a cell phone while driving except to report an emergency. In 2013, 29% of teen drivers in a fatal crash were speeding. It builds upon initiatives launched in 2014 to educate teens about safe driving.

Young drivers in Arizona are part of a startling statistic, more than a third of teenagers are involved in all fatality or severe-injury crashes. Parents need to take the time to talk with their kids about the many dangers of driving.

“When a teen is driving with a passenger, a non adult passenger, their crash risk and their risk of being killed in a crash goes up by 44 percent and when the number of non-adult passengers exceeds three or more, their risk of being killed in a crash goes up more than 400 percent”, Donati said.