Showing posts with label parents and teens. Show all posts

100 Deadliest Days for Teens

Posted by Unknown in , , , , , , , on Wednesday, May 21, 2014

We’re 3 weeks into May, which means another successful Global Youth Traffic Safety Month (GYTSM) is well underway. The event, organized by the National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS), includes special events, scholarships, rallies, and more, and is dedicated to raising awareness of teen traffic safety issues and promoting youth leadership. 

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety is a proud partner of NOYS, a coalition of non-profit, government, and corporate groups working to empower youth and save lives. Over the years, we've participated in planning GYTSM events, released teen driver safety research in conjunction with the month, and even acted as "Walk Ambassadors" for the Long, Short Walk, an international initiative spearheaded by the Zenani Mandela Campaign and Make Roads Safe to promote road safety's inclusion in the UN Development Goals.

Even though GYTSM 2014 will end May 31, it's important to keep up the mission of the month all summer long. In fact, the coming Memorial Day weekend marks the start of the "100 Deadliest Days" for teen drivers, with an average of 261 teens losing their lives in traffic crashes during each of the summer months (a 26% increase compared with the rest of the year). This is among the many reasons teen driver safety is one of our priority research areas.

For example, a Foundation study of teens and passengers found that the risk of death for 16- and 17-year-old drivers increases by 44% when carrying one passenger under 21, doubles with two passengers, and quadruples with three or more versus driving alone. 
Furthermore, the prevalence of speeding, late-night driving, and alcohol use also tend to increase with teenage passengers in the car. Having an adult in the car, however, cuts fatality risk to 16- and 17-year-old drivers by 62%, underscoring the important role parents and guardians play in keeping their teen drivers safe. When parents drive with their teens in different road situations, such as at night, in heavy traffic, or in inclement weather, they are helping to prepare them for the many driving scenarios they will encounter throughout their motoring careers. And of course, parents play a key role in helping teens limit dangerous distractions in the vehicle, such as smartphones and other electronics!

For more information about Global Youth Traffic Safety Month, check out the NOYS website, or join the Twitter conversation with #GYTSM14. And of course, all of our teen safety materials can be found at traffic-payout.org.  

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Popular Products Discounted for Nat'l Teen Driver Safety Week

Posted by Unknown in , , , , , , , , on Friday, October 18, 2013

Next week (October 20-26) marks the 2013 observance of National Teen Driver Safety Week (NTDSW), held the third week of October each year since 2007. A legislative effort by Congressional members from Pennsylvania following several teen crashes and fatalities in that state, NTDSW is an opportunity to re-focus national attention on the devastating effects of motor vehicle crashes among teen drivers (the most collision-prone of any motorists), as well as on promising and proven strategies for saving lives.

During NTDSW 2013, we will be offering a 50 percent discount on one of our most popular educational product bundles: Driver-ZED and Teaching Your Teens to Drive.

Driver-ZED (Stock #114) is an interactive risk-management computer program that uses live-action footage to put teens in the driver's seat as they confront 100 scenarios and learn to properly respond to the hazards in each (such as work zone construction, an aggressive tailgater, etc.) Teaching Your Teens to Drive (Stock #351) uses a lesson handbook and DVD to guide families (parents/guardians and their teens) through the complicated process of learning to drive.

From today (October 18) through October 26, customers may purchase Driver-ZED and Teaching Your Teens to Drive together for $19.95 (ordinarily bundled at $39.95). The bundle stock number for obtaining both products is 119. Use promo code "TeenBundle" when ordering online, or when calling our fulfillment center, at 800.305.7233.

Each product can also be ordered separately at a discount: to get Driver-ZED for $7, use promo code "TeenZED." For a copy of Teaching Your Teens to Drive, use promo code "TeenTeaching" to get the special $12.95 price. Each product is ordinarily priced at $29.95.

This year's NTDSW theme is "It Takes Two," referring to the crucial roles played by both parents AND teens in the learning-to-drive process. Parental involvement during this period in their sons' and daughters' lives is something we've explored several times, most recently in our series of naturalistic studies of novice driving. Parents and guardians have a wealth of safe driving wisdom that they can share with the young drivers in their families, and they can play an active role in managing their teens' driving. To learn more about our work in this area, please visit www.traffic-payout.org.







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License to Wait

Posted by Unknown in , , , , , , , on Thursday, August 1, 2013

If you were anything like me as a teenager, you’ll likely be as surprised as I was by the findings of our latest study, just released today. When I was 16, getting my driver’s license was my top priority, and I still remember thinking that a winter storm that postponed my road test by six weeks was absolutely devastating. But a new AAA Foundation survey of 18- 20-year-olds has found that less than half (just 44%) of American teens get their license within a year of their home state’s age of eligibility, and barely half (54%) get it by the time they turn 18!


The study offers evidence supporting a general perception that teens have been voluntarily delaying licensure in recent years; it also examines what some of the reasons for this delay might be. With graduated driver licensing (GDL) systems now placing some combination of driving restrictions (such as passenger limits, late-night prohibitions, etc.) on teens in all states, a big question was whether young drivers simply wanted to wait to get their license until these provisions were lifted (generally age 18, except in New Jersey). In other words, are the three tiers of GDL (learner’s permit, restricted license, full licensure) so undesirable that teens are willing to avoid it?

It turns out that the reasons for delayed licensure generally pertain more to economic considerations, busy schedules, and simple lack of interest. In fact, the biggest reasons cited for not getting a license were not having a car (44%), an ability to get around without driving (39%), cost of gas and cost overall (36% each), and “just didn’t get around to it” (35%). Fewer than one in four cited reasons related to GDL.

Even if GDL isn’t the reason for the delay, however, it is troubling that more than a third (at least 36%) of novice drivers today get licensed outside of the protective GDL system because of the delay. A recent Foundation literature review highlighted the lifesaving achievements of graduated licensing, which has been credited with reductions of 20-40 percent in 16-year-old driver crashes, and a 6-19 percent drop in crashes of 17-year-old drivers. Yet with the three-tiered system generally “expiring” once a teen turns 18, license delay for any reason can result in a significant number of novices missing out on this highly effective system.

More research is clearly needed to investigate the effects that GDL might have on older novice driver (ages 18-20, e.g.) safety, and to examine how the age at which a teen gets licensed impacts crash rates. To this end, we’ve initiated a project to study the crash rates of teens by age at licensure in three states: North Carolina and California, which do not have comprehensive GDL for older novices, and New Jersey, which does. You can read more about this project here.

Summer is the deadliest season for teens on the road, so this is a particularly poignant time to consider the results of this study. To learn more about it, please visit the project page. And, as always, please continue to drive safely all summer long.       

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Is Safety on Your Syllabus?

Posted by Unknown in , , , , , , , , , on Thursday, August 30, 2012


Three-and-a-half months ago, we joined with many of our safety partners to publicize the fact that summertime is a particularly deadly period for teens on the road. Longer trips, later nights, and relaxed attitudes can all contribute to a spike in teen driving – and crash risk – during this time. The National Organizations for Youth Safety, therefore, challenged all of us to have the summer of 2012 be the “Safest Summer Ever.” We sincerely hope that for you and your family and friends, it was.

Just because the summer is winding down, however, doesn’t mean it’s time to let safety slip off the radar screen. After all, motor vehicle crashes are the leading killer of young Americans – all year long. And with kids heading back to class and family routines crystallizing again, back-to-school time provides an excellent chance to promote safety within your family.

If you drive your kids to school, that time in the car is a perfect opportunity to model safe behaviors and attitudes for them. If they see you buckling up, putting away your cell phone and other distracting items, slowing and stopping properly for school buses, and using extra caution at crosswalks, they’ll have an implicit understanding of the importance of such actions. It’s never too early to start building awareness of the responsibilities that come with being a driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist.

Promoting safety in the hours after school lets out is crucial, as well, as this is one of the deadliest times of day for teens. All too often, teens pile into cars with their friends, and the results can be deadly. AAA Foundation research has shown that the risk of teens being killed in a crash skyrockets when passengers are present, and that despite laws in most states restricting newly-licensed teens from driving with their peers, roughly 40 percent of teen drivers killed in crashes were carrying passengers. This is a good time of year, therefore, to talk with teens about the importance of obeying passenger restrictions, and to make sure alternative transportation options to sporting events, jobs, and other activities are available.

AAA and the AAA Foundation have long been engaged in addressing school- and child-related traffic safety concerns. The AAA School Safety Patrol program has turned generations of children – including Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton – into traffic safety leaders at their schools. Participating students take on the responsibility of helping move traffic and pedestrians safely and efficiently through school zones, and volunteers have saved nearly 400 lives in the program’s history. Additionally, the AAA Foundation offers a variety of instructional materials related to school safety, including videos on crossing guard training and school bus safety.

Safety may not officially be on the syllabus for your students this year, but we hope it will be taught and promoted all the same. By working together, we can make sure kids of all ages are able to come to school ready and able to learn, because they are safe.

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Skidding through the Learning Curve

Posted by Unknown in , , , , , , , on Wednesday, March 7, 2012


“Practice makes perfect,” right? Well when it comes to driving, it may not equal perfection, but it certainly helps. In fact, inexperience is one of the major reasons that teenagers have crash rates that are roughly four times higher than those of other drivers.

To address this, the AAA Foundation has been talking a lot lately about the importance of giving teens ample opportunity to practice their driving. The message has become even more urgent due to recent Foundation research that found that teens are not getting as much supervised driving practice with their parents as previously assumed, and that when they do practice, it tends to be along familiar routes on sunny days, rather than under the range of conditions motorists will face throughout their driving careers.

That teens need more – and more varied – driving practice is undeniable. I’d like to take this opportunity, however, to touch on a somewhat related issue that remains a bit more controversial. Across the country, interest is growing in so-called “supplementary” training programs for new drivers, which generally pick up where traditional, basic driver education courses leave off and teach more advanced skills like skid recovery, evasive maneuvering, and threshold braking. The hope, of course, is that students will learn skills that they can use to prevent crashes and escape emergencies.

The fear, however – suggested by the limited research conducted to date – is that such advanced training may breed overconfidence in inexperienced drivers that is not matched by their true skill level. There is also a concern that young drivers will apply the techniques they learn for thrills when driving, which would negate any gains in safety.

A study prepared for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration – which the AAA Foundation summarized and analyzed in a report released this week – found that most providers of these supplementary training programs indicate that improving safety is among their chief objectives, and is one of the most common reasons that parents enroll their teens. As we highlighted in our report, however, more research into the impact that these programs have on teen driving is sorely needed before any claims about their safety implications can be substantiated.

In the meantime, there is much that parents and guardians can be doing to give their teens the kinds of opportunities to practice what we know are beneficial. For example, as one of our recent reports on teen crashes found, young drivers improve relatively quickly at making left turns, entering roadways, and yielding properly, among other things, but they need practice to do so. The more experience they can get with such techniques while supervised, the less they may have to learn when they’re driving on their own.

With traffic crashes still the leading killer of American teens, it’s vital that we all do our part to keep young drivers safe on the road. When we’re teaching our teens how to drive, let’s be sure to help them steer safely through the learning curve without over-correcting.

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Online Driver Education Programs?

Posted by Unknown in , , , , , , , , on Thursday, February 23, 2012


Driver Education is a key part of the development of young drivers, so it’s important that the advantages and disadvantages of online programs are made available to help parents choose an appropriate course for their teen.

We recently completed a report based on a study of Online Driver Education programs that was conducted for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.  While traditional classroom drivers ed courses remain the norm, the use of online courses has been growing across the country.

The study identified 15 states that had either approved or accepted one or more online courses in‐lieu of traditional, in‐classroom instruction. While much of the curriculum was similar across programs, great variation was found in the manner in which course content was presented. While evaluating the overall safety impact of online driver education was beyond the scope of this study, the report did analyze strong and weak program characteristics in light of existing research and established standards for online learning in general.

The strongest online courses contained:
· interactive exercises
· personal feedback from instructors
· timers to prevent skipping over lessons
· integrated behind-the-wheel components
· parental involvement

The weaker programs were said to be very text heavy, and offered little feedback, allowed quick completion, and didn’t involve parents at all.

There was also considerable variation in the degree to which states exercised oversight of online driver education, with some only approving one centralized, government-affiliated program and others allowing online courses to proliferate virtually unregulated.

In addition to the full report, the Foundation also developed a fact sheet to help educate parents on this issue and highlight the program attributes to keep in mind when considering an online driver education course.

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