58 / THE SAFETY REPORT / WINTER 2011-12

Saving American Teen Drivers A Guide for Parents

By Shelley McKown Beasley

commentary:

id you know that automobile crashes remain the leading killer for American teens? According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2009, about 3,000 teens in the United States aged 1519 were killed in automobile accidents and more than 350,000 were treated for injuries. These statistics dont include the number of non-teens that were killed or injured, such as occupants of the other vehicles, passengers of the teen drivers, motorcyclists, bicyclists or pedestrians. For many people, these statistics are just numbers. But for someone whose son, daughter, friend, niece, nephew, grandson, granddaughter or cousin was killed in a motor vehicle crash, these numbers represent incredible heart break and sorrow. Although teenage driver deaths are declining, there is still much work and awareness to be done. The underlying force behind saving teenage drivers from becoming fatal statistics is parental involvement.

driver good driving habits, monitor their behavior and set rules on seat belts, alcohol, cellphone use, curfews and passengers. Their risk is at a lifetime high during the first six to 12 months and 1,000 miles of driving.

taLK to your teenage driver every day about the risks and responsibilities of driving. Discussions and setting expectations can best happen with the initial step of signing a written contract. (See more, page 60.) The contract should list the rules and consequences of breaking the rules for your teen driver. For more information on conversation guidance, written contracts and more, you can check out these great websites; www.nsc.org, www.ghsa.org, www.nhtsa.gov or www.teendriversource.org. edUCate your teen driver more than the law mandates.
Defensive driving courses have been proven to reduce accidents and increase awareness of safe driving. There are several private organizations that offer behindthe-wheel and classroom instruction for novice drivers, including the Institute for Drivers Safety in Tempe, Arizona. It is run

Where do parents begin?

It is critical for parents to teach (by example) their teenage

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by former law enforcement officers who offer an extremely thorough approach to safe teen driving. Their program includes an eight-hour classroom instruction with two, threehour, behind-the-wheel driving sessions. They offer actual driving tests that take students through downtown, on the freeway, around the airport, in a school zone and many other environments. The cost for the program is approximately $400 and a number of insurance companies offer discounts for completing the program. There are many national nonprofit groups that travel throughout the country and do full-day safe teen driving programs for free or minimal costs.

One of them is called Drivers Edge and is run by former race car drivers. I have several safety colleagues and friends whose teenage drivers have participated in this program and they say it is outstanding. For more information, visit driversedge.org.

CALL without consequence. Encourage your teens to call you anytime they need a ride, rather than get in a car with a driver who has been drinking. Promise them there will only be discussion and no punishment.

eras, GPS tracking devices, cellphone jammers and devices that read and store data from their cars onboard computer. Although my 16-year-old and his best friends would tell you that enduring my lectures on safe driving has been painful over the years, it was wonderful hearing one of them tell another friend to buckle up and turn off the phone. Awareness is the first step and who knows, one comment from a buddy might just help save someones life.
Shelley McKown Beasley oversees the EHS Compliance Division for ICertainty INC and is a teen driver safety advocate who promotes her cause at twitter.com/ coolsafetychic.

GO the extra mile in monitoring your teenage driver. Today, you can purchase items such as in-vehicle monitoring cam-

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Police chases kill at least

innocent bystanders every week.

Allison

How many deaths before its not okay?

Police chases for non-violent crimes often spin out of control, killing and injuring innocent bystanders.
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Serve injured victims and bereaved families Unite people together to solve this global crisis, and Save Lives by promoting pursuit policies and legislation that strike an appropriate balance between (a) apprehending fleeing drivers or answering first-responder calls and (b) ensuring public safety.
Your tax-deductible gift will help us save lives.
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