Human Relations Media Blog
Information and Resources for Guidance Counselors & Health Teachers
May is Global Youth Traffic Safety Month!
Posted on April 24th 2013
MAY IS GLOBAL YOUTH TRAFFIC SAFETY MONTH
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 5,000 teens are killed in passenger vehicle crashes a year. Lack of driving experience, feelings of invincibility and distractions like teen passengers and cell phones, it is easy to understand how young drivers can be a threat to themselves and everyone else on the road. Global Youth Traffic Safety Month is a great opportunity to teach young drivers of situations that could be potentially dangerous.
STAGGERING STUDIES
Studies show that the more teens packed in to a car, the more likely the driver is to make risky decisions-- and risky decisions lead to crashes and fatalities. The study, Characteristics of Fatal Crashes Involving 16-and 17-Year Old Drivers with Teenage Passengers, was released by AAA in conjunction with Youth Traffic Safety Month in 2012. The study analyzed crash data over the course of 5 years to find that "...speeding, drinking and late-night driving were more prevalent among 16- and 17-year-old drivers involved in fatal crashes when the drivers were accompanied by teenage passenges." To put it plainly, "The risk of fatal crash increased as the number of teenage passengers increased."
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Start a conversation in your classroom about driving safety. Have your students set a goal: What's one thing they can work on to improve their driving? This might include speeding, distracted driving, passing vehicles, changing the radio station, talking or texting while driving.
HRM Video offers a variety of materials on this topic, both print and video. Click here for a full list of products, or check out these highlights:
Danger Behind the Wheels: The Facts about Distracted Driving
Distracted Driving: What You Need to Know Pamphlets
Speed Kills: Preventing Teen Driving Fatalities
