Advocates want to transform the '100 Deadliest
Days of Summer for Teens' into
the '100 Safest
Days'
WASHINGTON, May 23, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- For the first time, a dynamic group of nonprofits
wants to drive attention to how everyone can encourage teen and
parents to make the period from Memorial Day through Labor Day,
what's traditionally known as the "100 Deadliest Days," into the
"100 Safest Days." The initiative emphasizes the critical role
parents play, as they are the number one influencer of their teens'
driving attitudes and behaviors. By changing the culture and
activating parents, this effort aims to significantly reduce the
number of teen driving crashes and fatalities.
Organizers point to data, such as:
- Nationwide, 7,316 people died in teen driver-related summertime
crashes (average of 812 deaths per year), based on 2012–2021
statistics. This was nearly half of the total number of those
killed in teen driver crashes for the entire rest of the year.
- In comparison with adult drivers, young drivers are
substantially over-involved in crashes. In 2021 drivers 20 and
under made up 5.1% of licensed drivers in the United States, yet they made up 8.5% of
total drivers in all fatal crashes and 12.6% of drivers in all
crashes, according to the U.S. Dept. of Transportation.
- 60% of teen crashes today are caused by distracted
driving.
The lead organizers of the initiative are:
- We Save Lives strives to change dangerous driving choices and
save lives by promoting realistic solutions and programs through
education, advocacy and partnerships. They focus on the 3 D's,
drunk, drugged and distracted driving.
- National Road Safety Foundation (NRSF) has been dedicated for
more than 60 years to reducing crashes, deaths and injuries on our
nation's highways by promoting safe driving behavior through
greater public awareness.
- Impact Teen Drivers develops, promotes, and facilitates
evidence-based education to stop the number one killer of teens—car
crashes, particularly those caused by reckless and distracted
driving.
The other coalition members are:
- Brain Injury Alliance-New Jersey was founded in 1981 by a small
group of concerned parents of children who had sustained brain
injury, and now provides education, advocacy, support, and hope for
people with brain injury and their families in New Jersey.
- Florida Teen Safe Driving Coalition is comprised of more than
47 organizations, teens, parents and crash victims, committed to
equipping teens with the knowledge, skills, and resources necessary
to make informed decisions and develop responsible driving
behaviors.
- Gweedo Memorial Foundation was founded after the death of
Joseph Conner Williams Guido, who
died tragically at age 16 in an automobile crash. Their mission is
to raise awareness among new teenage drivers and their parents
about the dangers of destructive driving decisions.
- Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) empowers and
mobilizes students and adult allies to engage in positive change
through leadership and smart decision-making.
- Teens in the Driver Seat started in 2002 and is a peer-to-peer
safety program that educates teens about the top five dangers of
teen driving to help teens develop safer driving habits and avoid
crashes. TDS is a recognized peer-to-peer teen traffic safety
program by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- Youth of Virginia Speak Out (YOVASO) engages, educates, and
empowers youth to influence a safe driving culture through
leadership development and innovative outreach programs.
- Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) works to prevent
drunk driving and underage drinking in the Washington-metropolitan area through public
education, innovative health education programs and advocacy.
Candace Lightner, the founder and
president of We Save Lives and a longtime activist, says, "I'm
impressed by the reach and influence of this coalition. We've
agreed that we can harness positive messages and communication to
help teens turn the 100 deadliest days into the 100 safest days of
summer. Our teens have their whole lives in front of them — we need
to keep motivating them and their parents throughout the whole
summer and not just at the beginning of the campaign. We also need
to emphasize the life-saving importance of speaking up and
intervening when they see anyone, including their parents, engage
in unsafe driving. We encourage everyone to sign The Courage to
Intervene promise as just one of the many solutions we'll be
highlighting."
The Courage to Intervene promise is:
"I will stop my friends and loved ones from
driving buzzed, drunk, or drugged.
I will not ride with them if they are under any kind of influence
and will encourage others to do the same.
I will stop my friends from using their cell phones while
driving.
I will not risk my life to keep others from killing themselves or
someone else.
I will have the Courage to Intervene
Because I care . . ."
The pledge is available at
https://wesavelives.org/courage-to-intervenesm-promise/.
Michelle Anderson, director of
operations for The National Road Safety Foundation, says, "It takes
a little extra courage to remind our independence-seeking teens
that too many passengers are dangerous, that their cell phones
should be turned off while driving and that other distractions can
be just as deadly. We need to explain that impaired driving is not
only dangerous, but also a crime that can result in truly
life-altering consequences. That's why we've joined together for
this important work."
Kelly K. Browning, Ph.D.,
executive director of Impact Teen Drivers, says, "For generations,
car crashes have been the leading cause of death for American
teens. We are proud to join this campaign, which complements our
ongoing efforts to address this entirely preventable crisis. Our
ultimate vision is to transform the driving culture, thereby saving
lives not only in this generation but in all future generations. As
summer begins, the urgency to act is greater than ever."
David Reich
The National Road Safety Foundation
david@reichcommunications.com
914-325-9997
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content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/we-save-lives-national-road-safety-foundation-and-impact-teen-drivers-launch-100-safest-days-of-summer-campaign-to-save-teen-lives-302154477.html
SOURCE The National Road Safety Foundation