Teen Driving Safety Week

Barbara Burks

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Californians are celebrating by introducing this year’s Impact Teen Drivers educational program. Every year Impact Teen Drivers hands out material to public schools and encourages them to spend time with students who are learning to drive or just received their licenses. This year is exciting because everyone is getting in on the action.

The program is sponsored by the California Association of Highway Patrolmen, the California Highway Patrol, the California Teachers Association, California State Firefighters Association, the Peace Officers Research Association of California, California Casualty Insurance, and the Association of California Schools Administrators.

Many people are doing there part, but sometimes it is hard to get motivated. In this economy nothing motivates people more than money. This year “Create Real Impact” will be giving grants to California high schools where the Impact Teen Drivers material is used in new, interesting, and more effective ways.

New drivers are the most at risk for fatal collisions. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 6,982 young drivers, between the ages of 15 and 20, were involved in fatal collisions in the United States in 2007. In California, 238 young drivers died and 199 young passengers died while in the vehicle of a young driver. In Texas, more drivers died, but fewer passengers died. California had the highest number of fatalities.

This year the Impact Teen Drivers program is coming into the twenty-first century. They have not only created a new website, but they have set up a myspace and a facebook page as well. They really know their customers. We all hope that some good will come of these programs and that next year we’ll see an even bigger drop in teen fatalitites.