The National Safety Commission Alerts
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Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Allstate and Discovery Education Team Up to Improve Teen Driver Safety
Auto Crashes are Number One Cause of Teen Death; Summer Months Are Worst For Teen Fatalities
Research reveals that summer months are the worst for teen automobile fatalities. In the U.S., automobile accidents are the number one killer of teenagers, with nearly 6,000 teen fatalities every year and more than 300,000 injuries. What makes this such a tragedy is the fact that many accidents are preventable. The main causes of teen crashes are driver error, speeding, distractions, and simple activities such as changing radio stations or interacting with fellow teen passengers, which can considerably impair a teen's ability to react quickly to changing conditions on the road.
To raise awareness about this problem among teenage drivers and parents, May has been designated National Youth Traffic Safety Month. Allstate is teaming up with Discovery Education and the National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS) on two programs designed to raise safe driving awareness and lower the number of teenage automobile crashes.
Discovery and Allstate have created the "Drive It Right: Talking to Teens about Safe Driving" campaign as an inclusive educational program designed to encourage teens to understand, discuss, and identify safe driving solutions. The program's DVD, which 19,500 U.S. high school principals recently received to help their students stay safe while driving this summer, provides very straightforward and hard-hitting real-life stories behind the accident statistics.
What's more, during the week of May 28, Discovery Education will pre-empt its Emmy-award winning Assignment Discovery program to air the "Drive It Right" video.
"The summer months are when young drivers are at most risk, and with events such as graduation and prom in the coming weeks, it's vital for teens and their parents to be aware of the dangers," said president of Allstate Protection, George Ruebenson. "Allstate is committed to promoting safe driving and our hope is that the 'Drive It Right' resource guide and DVD, which is narrated by teens for teens, will engage students in discussion and underscore the importance of safe and responsible driving."
"We are proud to have partnered with Allstate on the development of this powerful and timely resource for each and every high school," said Bill Goodwyn, president of Domestic Distribution and Enterprises, Discovery Communications, Inc. "We're asking entire communities to get involved and screen the DVD at safe driving events before the school year ends, with the goal of bringing everyone back safely in the fall."
Allstate and NOYS are sponsoring awards for 2007 National Youth Traffic Safety Month community projects. Local Allstate agencies will give 50 awards of $1,000 to teens or community organizations for implementing exceptional National Youth Traffic Safety Month programs.
"National Organizations for Youth Safety is honored to work with Allstate to endorse the 'Drive It Right' materials, and we appreciate the leadership Allstate has shown in encouraging and rewarding youth leaders who are creating National Youth Traffic Safety Month projects in their communities," said Sandy Spavone, executive director, National Organizations for Youth Safety.
Parents also need to play a large role in developing their teen's safe driving behaviors.
According to The Allstate Foundation, parents realize that they must play a significant role in preparing their teens to drive, yet many delay safe driving conversations with their teens until shortly before their offspring receive their licenses. Parents also understand they are role models behind the wheel, but their driving behaviors send the wrong message. Obvious examples are that 71 percent of parents admit to talking on a cell phone while driving with their teens, and 26 percent say they have broken the law with their teens in the car.
Parents can obtain a copy of the “Drive It Right” DVD from their local Allstate® agent or visit www.Allstate.com/teen for advice on how to talk to their teens about driving safely and encourage their community to create a safe driving culture.
To further assist parents, Lowest Price Traffic School is also involved in educating new drivers and has designed a Parent-Teen Driving Contract, which highlights the key areas for discussion, and offers an agreement to ensure that their teen is driving safely.
Research reveals that summer months are the worst for teen automobile fatalities. In the U.S., automobile accidents are the number one killer of teenagers, with nearly 6,000 teen fatalities every year and more than 300,000 injuries. What makes this such a tragedy is the fact that many accidents are preventable. The main causes of teen crashes are driver error, speeding, distractions, and simple activities such as changing radio stations or interacting with fellow teen passengers, which can considerably impair a teen's ability to react quickly to changing conditions on the road.
To raise awareness about this problem among teenage drivers and parents, May has been designated National Youth Traffic Safety Month. Allstate is teaming up with Discovery Education and the National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS) on two programs designed to raise safe driving awareness and lower the number of teenage automobile crashes.
Discovery and Allstate have created the "Drive It Right: Talking to Teens about Safe Driving" campaign as an inclusive educational program designed to encourage teens to understand, discuss, and identify safe driving solutions. The program's DVD, which 19,500 U.S. high school principals recently received to help their students stay safe while driving this summer, provides very straightforward and hard-hitting real-life stories behind the accident statistics.
What's more, during the week of May 28, Discovery Education will pre-empt its Emmy-award winning Assignment Discovery program to air the "Drive It Right" video.
"The summer months are when young drivers are at most risk, and with events such as graduation and prom in the coming weeks, it's vital for teens and their parents to be aware of the dangers," said president of Allstate Protection, George Ruebenson. "Allstate is committed to promoting safe driving and our hope is that the 'Drive It Right' resource guide and DVD, which is narrated by teens for teens, will engage students in discussion and underscore the importance of safe and responsible driving."
"We are proud to have partnered with Allstate on the development of this powerful and timely resource for each and every high school," said Bill Goodwyn, president of Domestic Distribution and Enterprises, Discovery Communications, Inc. "We're asking entire communities to get involved and screen the DVD at safe driving events before the school year ends, with the goal of bringing everyone back safely in the fall."
Allstate and NOYS are sponsoring awards for 2007 National Youth Traffic Safety Month community projects. Local Allstate agencies will give 50 awards of $1,000 to teens or community organizations for implementing exceptional National Youth Traffic Safety Month programs.
"National Organizations for Youth Safety is honored to work with Allstate to endorse the 'Drive It Right' materials, and we appreciate the leadership Allstate has shown in encouraging and rewarding youth leaders who are creating National Youth Traffic Safety Month projects in their communities," said Sandy Spavone, executive director, National Organizations for Youth Safety.
Parents also need to play a large role in developing their teen's safe driving behaviors.
According to The Allstate Foundation, parents realize that they must play a significant role in preparing their teens to drive, yet many delay safe driving conversations with their teens until shortly before their offspring receive their licenses. Parents also understand they are role models behind the wheel, but their driving behaviors send the wrong message. Obvious examples are that 71 percent of parents admit to talking on a cell phone while driving with their teens, and 26 percent say they have broken the law with their teens in the car.
Parents can obtain a copy of the “Drive It Right” DVD from their local Allstate® agent or visit www.Allstate.com/teen for advice on how to talk to their teens about driving safely and encourage their community to create a safe driving culture.
To further assist parents, Lowest Price Traffic School is also involved in educating new drivers and has designed a Parent-Teen Driving Contract, which highlights the key areas for discussion, and offers an agreement to ensure that their teen is driving safely.
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