NORTHBROOK, Ill., May 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- To raise
awareness of the dangers associated with teen driving and help pass
critical legislation aimed at curbing teen fatalities, Allstate
Insurance Company today announced the launch of "Save 11," a
multi-tiered national call-to-action campaign.
Motor vehicle crashes are the number one killer of teens in
the United States, with an average
of 11 teens dying in car crashes each day according to the
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. To help bring
national attention to this issue, Allstate is recognizing
May 11 as the day to take time to
"Save 11." On this day, Allstate is urging consumers to
contact their Members of Congress and peers to drive passage of the
Safe Teen and Novice Driver Uniform Protection (STANDUP) Act (H.R.
1895 and S. 3269). Consumers can get involved by visiting
facebook.com/save11 for information and resources on contacting
their lawmakers, inviting family and friends to take action, and
lending their voices to the vital movement.
Allstate is supporting the "Save 11" consumer action program
with a national advertising campaign featuring the images of
teenagers who died as a result of motor vehicle crashes
incorporated within the number 11. An explanation
accompanying each image speaks to that teen's death, and urges
people to take action. The campaign runs through June and
incorporates online, print and social media elements.
"More than 4,000 teens die every year in teen-related crashes.
This is a public health risk of epidemic proportions," said
Bill Vainisi, vice president and
deputy general counsel for Allstate. "We must work together to end
this heartbreaking cycle. By reaching out to their Members of
Congress, Americans can help pass the STANDUP Act and personally
contribute to a reduction in the number of teen deaths."
The STANDUP Act would establish minimum requirements for state
graduated driver licensing (GDL) laws. According to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in states with strong
GDL laws, studies have shown these laws reduce teen crash
fatalities by up to 40 percent.
The elements of an optimal GDL program include: a
three-stage licensing process; a prohibition of nighttime driving
for new drivers; passenger restrictions for new drivers;
prohibition of cell phones and similar devices for new drivers; and
an age limit of 16 for a learner's permit and 18 for a full
unrestricted license.
According to an Allstate Foundation survey of young drivers
conducted with the National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS),
teens say their parents have the strongest influence on their
driving behavior. Among parents who enforce graduated driver
licensing laws, fewer of their sons and daughters have been
ticketed (15 percent vs. 23 percent) and fewer have come close to
being in a collision (56 percent vs. 72 percent).
On April 27, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) introduced the STANDUP
Act to the U.S. Senate, with additional members joining daily.
The bill is sponsored in the U.S. House by Reps. Tim Bishop (D-NY), Mike
Castle (R-DE) and Chris Van
Hollen (D-MD) and currently has 17 co-sponsors.
The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) is the nation's largest
publicly held personal lines insurer. Widely known through the
"You're In Good Hands With Allstate®" slogan, Allstate is
reinventing protection and retirement to help more than 17 million
households insure what they have today and better prepare for
tomorrow. Consumers access Allstate insurance products (auto, home,
life and retirement) and services through Allstate agencies,
independent agencies, and Allstate exclusive financial
representatives in the U.S. and Canada, as well as via www.allstate.com and
1-800 Allstate®.
SOURCE Allstate Insurance Company