October 14, 2009
Letter to the Editor
October 18-24 is National Teen Driver Safety Week
Passing a road test and receiving a driver's license are major milestones in the life of a teenager. While these events are exciting for teens, they can be frightening for parents. Nationally, over ten thousand 16- and 17-year-olds get behind the wheel with their new driver's licenses every year. For many teens, a driver's license is a ticket to freedom, but of major concern is the fact that the teens do not fully comprehend the impact of getting behind the wheel of the most powerful weapon they will ever handle.
October 18th through October 24th is National Teen Driver Safety Week. Last year. Congress passed a resolution establishing the third week in October as National Teen Driver Safety Week (NTDSW). The mission and purpose of National Teen Driver Safety Week is to educate the public about these tragedies, their causes and the solutions to teen motor crashes. This mission is accomplished by bringing teens, community leaders, educators and parents together to take action and raise awareness of the issues in an effort to help prevent teen crashes. This is the perfect time for parents to talk to their teens about safe driving practices. If parents have already had this conversation with their teens, then now is a good time to reinforce the issues and their expectations.
Teen drivers are the most vulnerable drivers on the road. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of injury and death among teenagers. The risk for motor vehicle crashes is higher among 16- to 19-year-olds than any other age group. These crashes are just as likely to happen to the "good kids, the careful kids, your kids." Automobile crashes can affect anyone, but teen drivers suffer the heaviest burden from traffic injuries, whether from tragic early death or from long-term disabilities that may affect the rest of their lives. Every year, nearly 5,000 teens die in car crashes. That equates to 14 teens dying every day. Additionally, another 300,000 are injured in car crashes annually.
Experts say that the first year of unsupervised driving is the most dangerous, so making sure teens are safe on the road is challenging. Driver error, speeding, passengers and distractions are the main causes of teen crashes, and can significantly impair a teen's ability to react quickly to changing traffic and road conditions. Parents should not take anything for granted, make no assumptions and expect the unexpected when it comes to their teens' driving behaviors. This is a crucial time for education, awareness and smart decision making.
The Parent Center urges parents, school districts and communities all over Long Island to re-enforce smarter and safer driving practices for our youth during National Teen Driver Safety Week. One way to do this is to have teens sign the Driving in the Safe Lane Pledge. This pledge, developed by the Community Parent Center, is a document to be signed by junior and senior high school students who are new and prospective teen drivers, stating that they will abide by ten safe driving practices to promote responsible driving:
• Practice as much as possible
• Always wear seatbelts - for the driver and all passengers
• Limit the number of passengers
• Never drink and drive
• Obey speed limits and all other posted signs, signals and markings
• Limit nighttime driving
• Do not use cell phones for talking or text messaging while driving
• Avoid distractions - no eating, drinking, adjusting the radio or climate controls
• Drive a safe vehicle
• Drive with the right attitude
Driving is a privilege, not a right. When teens are handed the keys to a car, they are being given the responsibility for their safety, the safety of their passengers and the safety of those who share the road with them.
Remember: Just one pledge can go a long way. For a copy of the Driving in the Safe Lane Pledge, click here or contact Wendy Tepfer, Parent Center Director, at 516-771-9346.
Wendy Tepfer
Director
Community Parent Center
