WHY MAYORS SHOULD SUPPORT
NATIONAL TEEN DRIVER SAFETY WEEK
Why should a Mayor care about this issue? The answer is simple. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among teenagers in the United States. Over one third (35%) of deaths among teenagers are caused by motor vehicle accidents. In its “Teen Drivers: Fact Sheet,” the CDC reports that seven teens ages 16 to 19 die every day from motor vehicle injuries. Per mile driven, teen drivers 16 to 19 are three times more likely than drivers 20 and older to be in a fatal crash. Young people, ages 15-24 represent only 14% of the United States population; however, they account for 30% of the total costs of motor vehicle injuries among males and 28% of the total costs among females. See the CDC website for more information on the perils of teen drivers.
What can be done to reverse these regrettable statistics? The first step is to raise awareness of the problem by joining with municipalities and school districts across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and throughout the country in observing National Teen Driver Safety Week. State Farm Insurance Company has provided an excellent vehicle for every Mayor to have a community conversation with his/her school district and residents on teen driver safety through its promotion called "Celebrate My Drive.” As part of that promotion, State Farm Insurance Company is offering ten (10) $100,000.00 prizes and ninety (90) $25,000.00 prizes to schools across the country that register for the promotion. Winning high schools are required to use a minimum of ten percent of the grant ($2,500.00 - $10,000.00) for teen driver safety initiatives at the high school.
How can your local high school compete for one of the100 grants being offered in State Farm Insurance Company’s "Celebrate My Drive"? It is easy to participate. Here are the steps:
An authorized representative of your local high school must register the school for the promotion by October 17, 2013. Register here.
Beginning 1:01 a.m. on October 18, 2013 and 12:59 a.m. and on October 26, 2013, anyone who is 14 years of age or older can:
Log onto Celebrate My Drive.
Locate his/her local high school from among the list of registered schools.
Follow the instructions to “Make a commitment to stay safe on the road.”
The steps in paragraph 2 can be repeated every day between October 18 through 26, but only once a day.
For the purpose of awarding prizes, schools are divided into two categories based upon their 2012-2013 enrollment as follows: large schools - 750 students or more and small schools - fewer than 750 students. The schools with the most commitments in each category win the prizes. See the Official Rules for more details.
To encourage community participation in National Teen Driver Safety Week, a sample proclamation and communication to residents can be found here.
Being aware of the threats to teen driver safety should drive all Mayors to seek out and support programs that will help teenagers drive safely. State Farm Insurance Company has initiated a campaign known as “2N2” which is short for “keeping 2 eyes on the road and 2 hands on the wheel.” The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has designed a website to provide the general public with the fundamental resources and information the public needs to help promote what research clearly shows reduces teen crashes:
Increasing seat belt use;
Implementing graduated driver licensing, and
Reducing teens’ access to alcohol. See http:www.nhtsa.gov/Teen-Drivers for more details.
The PSMA welcomes your suggestions of other programs and initiatives that have been effective in reducing motor vehicle crashes involving teenagers.
Thought for the Day: All education is useless unless a child lives.