Good,
trustworthy teens die in crashes
I
just received a copy of your editorial from a local insurer: "Number of
teen deaths on road can't be ignored."
Teen
driver car crashes are not just epidemic in your area, but throughout
That
makes teen driver car crashes the leading cause of permanent injury and death
of teens.
Until
recently there was very little a parent could do to reduce the risk of their
teen being in a crash. Now there is the I Promise program safe teen driving
initiative.
Developed
with the input of thousands of interested parties worldwide, the program relies
on parents as role models of safe driving behavior, has them enter into a
mutual safe driving contract with their teen and then has them affix a rear
window decal to the vehicle. The decal displays a
toll-free number and asks the question, "Am I driving safely?"
Community members are encouraged to report on driver behavior, and reports
received by a call center go back to the family only.
Any
parent can order the program by printing a form from our Web site. However, we
are currently negotiating with several
The
program has received more than 100 letters of support, and we encourage parents
to read a few on our Web site.
A
challenge still remains, however. While many teens consider themselves 10 feet
tall and bulletproof, many parents think their teen will not be involved in a
crash because theirs is a "good" teen and they "trust"
them.
I
can only imagine that of the 30 teens killed on Maine streets and highways this
year, each parent considered their teen good and trustworthy, but likely each
of these parents would, in retrospect, have liked to take more precautions.
Parents
take note: Good and trustworthy teens die in car crashes every day. Be
responsible and participate in a safe driving initiative. Do all that you can
to keep your teen safe from harm. Let them whine and
complain now, because when they are parents, they will thank you. Register
today at www.ipromiseprogram.com
I Promise program
www.ipromiseprogram.com