"Survival 101" for Young Drivers
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Mar 3, 2003 12:31 pm US/Eastern
(KDKA) (
PENNDOT and dozens of
local police officers are teaming up to take a more pro-active role to keep
teenage drivers safe behind the wheel.
The initiative, called
"Survival 101," is designed to reduce aggressive driving, speeding
and impaired driving and encourage seatbelt use by
using graphic slides to show what happens to vehicles -- and the human body --
during a crash.
Under the program,
PENNDOT will begin training 40 officers from various municipalities who will
then take the message on the road.
The goal is to save the
lives of young drivers between 16 and 24 who currently have the highest death
rate from traffic crashes.
From 1996 to 2000, young
drivers accounted for nearly 26,000 of the estimated 68,000 crashes in
Putting the Brakes on Teen Speeding
Officials say speed is the number one killer of teen drivers in
Lack of
Experience
For teenagers, a lack of
experience behind the wheel can have deadly consequences. In fact, car crashes
are the leading cause of death among teens.
With the help of a
driving simulator, though, young drivers can learn how to react to different
conditions -- before they hit the road.
A company called SafeDrive Technologies uses such a simulator to put teens
in high risk situations -- without the risk.
For more information
on the driving simulator, log on to SafeDrive Technologies
(SafeDriveTech.com)
Combined with a lack of
experience, officials say speed is the number one killer of teenage drivers in
Putting the Brakes on Teen Speeding:
- Experts say parents trying to
keep their teens from putting the pedal to the metal should lead by
example: When your children are in the car, you shouldn't
speed -- or get frustrated behind the wheel; doing so, shows teen that
type of behavior is acceptable.
- When you're
teaching your children to drive, expose them to as many conditions as
possible while you're in the car with them; this way teens can ask for
advice before they get into a situation on their own.
- Instead of telling children
"don't speed,"stay positive.
The more you tell your child not to drive too fast, the more you risk
appealing to their rebellious nature.
Another
option to keep your teens driving safely are stickers
that parents can put in the back window or on the bumper sticker of their
child's car. The decals ask other motorists to report the teen if he or she is
driving recklessly or speeding.
The companies that sell
the stickers also have toll-free hotlines to take reports -- and then follow up
with letters to the parents.
For more information,
click on the following links:
Bumper Stickers
Encouraging Teen Drivers to Slow Down:
· "I Promise
Program," A program to reduce the risk of
youth related car crashes.
· "I
Promise" Rear Window Decal, ("I Promise Program")
I Promise Program Inc.
20
(905) 628-4847
gary123@sympatico.ca
www.ipromiseprogram.com