“Allstate America’s Teen Driving Hotspots” Study Highlights Metro Areas With Highest Rates of Deadly Crashes

WEBWIRE – Friday, May 09, 2008

Study release launches Allstate’s “Action Against Distraction” campaign, stresses dangers of distracted driving, calls for uniform, national Graduated Driver’s License (GDL) laws.

Metro areas in the southern United States scored lowest in a study released today by Allstate Insurance Company that identifies “hotspots” where fatal teen driving crash rates are highest. The release of the study, which includes data for metropolitan areas around the country, kicks off the company’s national “Action Against Distraction” safe teen driving campaign.

The “Allstate America’s Teen Driving Hotspots” study found that the 10 deadliest hotspots among the nation’s 50 largest metro areas are concentrated in the southern United States and include three in Florida. According to the study, the metropolitan areas (a central city and its surrounding counties) that were the deadliest hotspots for fatal teen crashes are:

* Tampa/St. Petersburg/Clearwater, Fla.
* Orlando/Kissimmee, Fla.
* Jacksonville, Fla.
* Nashville, Tenn.
* Birmingham, Ala.
* Phoenix, Ariz.
* Kansas City, Mo. (and Kan.)
* Atlanta, Ga.
* Charlotte, N.C.
* Louisville, Ky.

The study examines recent federal crash statistics, Allstate claims data on teen collisions, and U.S. Census bureau statistics to score metro areas across the nation on rates of fatal crashes involving teen drivers.

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“The study shouldn’t just concern parents and leaders in the nation’s deadliest hotspots - car crashes claim the lives of more American teens than anything else coast-to-coast” said George Ruebenson, president, Allstate Protection. “Although some cities post better scores than others, the whole country must take responsibility for addressing this crisis. We feel that state and federal leaders should enact uniform national standards for graduated drivers licensing laws. Further, we must have better conversations with teens about safe driving and set good examples through our own good driving behavior”

Interestingly, the markets scoring best in the study include some of the nation’s largest cities. While these metro areas generally had more total fatal accidents than others - including the New York City area with a nation-leading 869 fatal accidents involving teen drivers from 2000 through 2006 - the scores were lower when factored against the size of local teen populations. The best scoring cities are:

* San Francisco/Oakland, Calif.
* San Jose, Calif.
* New York City (including Long Island and northern New Jersey)
* Los Angeles, Calif.
* Cleveland, Ohio
* Milwaukee, Wisc.
* Boston, Mass.
* Portland, Ore.
* Salt Lake City, Utah
* Chicago, Ill.

The study also found that, across the U.S., fatal crash rates for teens are double in rural areas compared to cities and suburbs. Nationally, of the 43,437 fatal crashes involving teen drivers from 2000 through 2005, 29,998 were in metro areas. But the average rate of fatal teen crashes in rural areas nationally is 51.5 annually per 100,000 teens, compared to 25.4 in metro areas. The greatest disparities in rural over metro crash rates was seen in Florida, with Delaware and Utah also posting significant differences.

The study was conducted by Allstate in conjunction with Sperling’s BestPlaces (www.bestplaces.net), a Portland, Oregon research firm specializing in demographic studies and analysis. A more detailed breakdown on the study results - including other market and state comparisons - can be found here: “Allstate America’s Teen Driving Hotspots” Study

Today’s release of study findings by Allstate Insurance Company kicks off the company’s new national “Action Against Distraction” public awareness and policy campaign, which also calls for a national federal standard for graduated driver licensing (GDL) laws and urges Congress to enact the Safe Teen and Novice Driver Uniform Protection (STANDUP) Act.

In addition, throughout May and June - months leading up to some of the deadliest driving days for teens - Allstate will be conducting teen distracted driving training courses aimed at reducing the impact of distracted driving practices such as texting and talking on the phone while driving. Teens in over a dozen cities throughout the United States will participate in the distracted driving training courses.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), an average of more than 17 teens a day die on American roads during June, July and August - the three months with the highest teen crash rates. Nearly 6,000 teens die in car crashes every year, a statistic that hasn’t changed in more than a decade. While research shows that both parents and teens believe alcohol is the cause of most crashes involving teen drivers, the primary causes of most teen crashes - between 2003 and 2005 - was driver error (87 percent).

To help teens stay safe through prom, graduation, the summer and beyond, parents should initiate a conversation about smart driving. This conversation can include completion of a Parent-Teen Driving Contract, which helps set guidelines for smart driving and consequences for not living up to those expectations. Parents and teens can fill out the interactive contract - setting their own expectations and consequences - online at www.allstate.com/teen.

Research conducted by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development indicates intervention materials, including parent-teen driving agreements, increase parental restriction of high-risk teen driving conditions among newly licensed drivers.

Allstate also urges state lawmakers to enact better state-level GDL laws that allow novice drivers to gain driving experience gradually and under low-risk situations. An effective tool for saving lives, GDL laws typically involve longer periods of supervised driving, restrictions on late-night driving, limits on teen passengers and cell phone bans for drivers.

‘Symbols’ Help To Recognize Teen Drivers, Granted U.S. Federal Trademark Registration

For Immediate Release

SPRING LAKE, Michigan, April 24, 2008 - RookieDriver.Net, a leading online provider of teen driving safety products, announced today the official award of two registered trademarks from the United States Patent and Trademark Office.  Trademarks were granted for the company’s ‘Rookie Driver’ and ‘Rookie Driver In Training’ auto magnets, “for use as nationally recognized symbols to alert drivers that inexperienced new teen drivers are behind the wheel of a car,” says company President, Corinne Fortenbacher.

Created in 2006 by Fortenbacher and her 15 year-old son Austin, she says the unique car magnet symbols are the only new driver alert products to be granted federally registered trademarks for this category.  “We’re trying to bring national media attention to the issue of teen driving safety because more needs to be done to prevent teen crashes, the leading cause of death for young people in the U.S.”

RookieDriver.Net is fortunate to have been granted these trademarks’, says Fortenbacher. “The trademarks have the potential to dramatically increase awareness towards inexperienced drivers because they are the first standardized national symbols to recognize new drivers.”

Fortenbacher concludes, “Inexperience is the leading cause of teen driving accidents.  One of the most overlooked components in improving safety is simply identifying the new driver’s car with a standardized magnetic symbol that alerts other drivers that there is a novice driver behind the wheel. This allows experienced drivers to anticipate common new driver mistakes.”

“With our company’s symbols being awarded registered trademarks, we now provide a clearly ‘branded’ solution to identifying a new driver’s vehicle,” Austin Fortenbacher says. “And, unlike other student driver car magnets, Rookie Driver car magnets and stickers were designed by teens, for teens. They have a unique style and cool name which is more acceptable to teens. And they are easily removed when your mom or dad is driving the car.”

About Corinne and Austin Fortenbacher<Corinne and her 16 year-old son Austin have given dozens of media interviews, always bringing an interesting newsworthy angle to their story on how they went from the everyday common occurrence of a teen getting his learners permit and the stress this puts on both the parent and the teen. . . and how they created a solution to improve teen driving safety, together, developing a blog and building a successful e-commerce business and nationally distributed line of products — they welcome media interviews.

Contact: Corinne Fortenbacher, Co-Founder
RookieDriver.Net
888-285-7875
Email: Corinne@RookieDriver.Net
Web: www.RookieDriver.Net

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Risk of teen drivers reaches others

By Jayne O’Donnell, USA TODAY

New teenage drivers are more dangerous than previously thought: Nearly two of every three people killed in crashes involving 15- to 17-year-old drivers are people other than the driver, auto club AAA will announce today.

Teenagers have long been the riskiest on the road. AAA’s analysis shows that unlike elderly drivers, who mostly kill themselves when they crash, new teen drivers involved in wrecks have an impact far beyond their own families.

“When we talk about teen driver safety, it tends to be viewed as a problem that affects teen drivers,” says Robert Darbelnet, CEO of the auto club. “I don’t want to de-emphasize the importance of (teenage) casualties, but your mother might be in a car hit by a teen driver.”

James Champagne, chairman of the Governors Highway Safety Association, agrees. “The safety of all members of the driving public is jeopardized unless we reduce the number of teen driver crashes,” Champagne says.

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Crashes from 1995 through 2004 involving drivers 15 to 17 killed 30,917 people, according to the AAA’s analysis of data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. About 64% of the deaths were passengers, people in other vehicles or pedestrians.

Teen drivers killed occupants of other vehicles at a rate almost five times as high as elderly drivers and about three times as high as 45- to 49-year-old drivers, according to an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety analysis of federal data from 1993 through 1997.

AAA plans to use the findings to push state legislators to enact tougher teen-licensing laws. Thirty-two states restrict whom new teen drivers can transport and when they can drive.

The Insurance Institute study says teenagers’ risk of dying in a crash nearly doubles when one male passenger is in the car; it more than doubles when two or more young male passengers are in the car.

Jennifer Reeves has been working to change teen-licensing laws since her 18-month-old daughter, Hanna, was killed in a crash involving a teen driver in 1999.

Reeves’ sedan was rear-ended by a large pickup driven by a 16-year-old girl carrying three teenage passengers. The teens walked away from the San Antonio crash without injuries; Reeves and her 6-week-old daughter had minor injuries. Hanna was pronounced dead when she got to the hospital.

“They just lack the experience and the maturity to multitask,” Reeves says of young drivers. “Limiting the number of passengers gives them the ability to concentrate.”

Researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia have found that 4% of children in the crashes it studied were being driven by teens. Twelve percent of kids with serious injuries were in teen-driven vehicles.

Children’s Hospital’s findings, based on an analysis of crashes reported to State Farm Insurance, showed that teens also are transporting far more than their peers: 40% of the teen-driven child passengers in the study were 12 years or younger.

“It’s tempting to be lured by the convenience of having other options for getting kids to and from school and practices, but the risks are just too great,” AAA’s Darbelnet says.

Source:  USA TODAY

Safe Teen Driving Club Welcomes Ms. Jackie Holmes as Spokesperson

Atlanta, Feb. 27, 2008 – The Safe Teen Driving Club welcomes Ms. Jackie Holmes – Auburn University Senior, Miss America Contestant and passionate ambassador on teen driving safety issues – and appointed her this week as Club Spokesperson.  In her new position Ms. Holmes will take an active role speaking to students and parents on behalf of the Club, and making her unique perspective on teen driving safety known through the Club’s newsletter to its subscribers nationwide.

Ms. Holmes chose teenage driving as her personal focus after six of her peers died in car accidents throughout her high school years, each in a crash that could have been prevented.  She counsels teens that “knowledge is power, and with more knowledge students will be given the power to make intelligent decisions behind the wheel of a car.”Ms. Holmes shares her message that safe driving saves lives by traveling throughout the state of Georgia, speaking to students and parents. Teachers, PTA representatives, youth groups, parent organizations and others are encouraged to contact Jackie to arrange speaking and educational engagements.

Her clear and compelling point of view on teen driving captures the attention of teens, who suffer more injury and fatality from driving crashes than any other cause.  Ms. Holmes competes in the Miss America Organization and is the current Miss Rome Georgia (www.missrome.org). Each contestant in the Miss America Organization must select a community service platform about which she feels passionate. Jackie has been promoting Teenage Driving Safety and Awareness through her pageant activities for the past four years.   Ms. Holmes is a senior at Auburn University majoring in Public Relations with a minor in Music. She began competing in the Miss America Organization after high school to earn money for college.“We are overjoyed to have Jackie helping to spread the word and educate teenagers on driving safety issues,” says Club CEO Allan Ramsay. “Her enthusiasm for working with teens and her unfortunate experience in losing friends throughout high school gives her real credibility with young people. She’ll certainly have a positive impact on those who meet her and hear her speak.”About Safe Teen Driving Club

Safe Teen Driving Club helps parents protect and safeguard their teen drivers with the goal of reducing driving crashes and fatalities. The Club provides a suite of educational material, and products and services proven to reduce crash rates. These enable parents to establish effective driving rules, monitor their teen’s driving behaviors and track compliance with those rules. The Club supports the Joshua Brown Foundation, a 501c3 working to enhance driver’s training; provides fundraising opportunities for non profit organizations; and, provides an employee discount program for partner companies. For further information on Safe Teen Driving Club, visit www.SafeTeenDrivingClub.org.

 Source:  SafeTeenDrivingClub.org

Who is Fighting for our Teens’ Lives?

Teen Driving Safety Advocate Declares ‘Parents Must Fight For Their Teens’ Lives’

Vehicle crashes are killing our youth at an alarming rate, according to Corinne Fortenbacher, a leading teen driving safety advocate.  “When comparing casualties in Iraq over the past 4 years with teen crash fatalities in 2006 alone, we lost 2.3 soldiers a day compared to 15.5 teen drivers per day,” she states.

“These comparisons are not intended, in any way, to diminish the sacrifices our service members and their families have made, but to draw attention to the epidemic that faces our nation,“ Fortenbacher says.  “Generally speaking, teens believe they are invincible; they succumb easily to peer pressure and are risk takers.  Put simply - teens start out as poor drivers due to their lack of experience.”

 “Ultimately the responsibility for teen drivers lies squarely on the shoulders of parents and teenagers,” Fortenbacher stresses.  “Parents must be involved in their teen’s life.  You must be involved in their driving experience.”  She suggests enrolling teens in the best driver’s education program available in your community.  “Is it costly?  Yes, some are more costly than others.  Is it time-consuming?  Perhaps.  Is it life saving?  Without a doubt!”

Fortenbacher states, however, that a good drivers education program is just the beginning of the process parents face teaching their teens to become safe drivers.  “Parents need to spend many hours riding with their new drivers to ensure that they learn the skills necessary to become an experienced careful driver.”

She also tells parents that they should insist the vehicle their teen is driving is clearly marked as a new driver, so other drivers can see that there is an inexperienced driver at the wheel.  “Alerting other drivers on the road allows them to anticipate common new driver mistakes.”  Fortenbacher is the co-founder, along with her 16 year-old son Austin, of RookieDriver.Net., an online provider of teen driving alert products. 

Are You Worried Now That Your Teen Is Driving? “When it comes to ‘New-Driver’ and ‘Student Driver’ car magnets, Rookie Driver products are the Preferred Choice of New Teen Drivers”
CLICK HERE to see.

“Our company’s products provide a clearly ‘branded’ solution to identifying a new driver’s vehicle,” Austin says.  “Unlike other student driver car magnets, Rookie Driver car magnets and stickers were designed by teens, for teens.  They have a unique style and cool name which is more acceptable to teens.  And they are easily removed when your mom or dad is driving the car.”

The Fortenbachers also have a blog providing tips on all aspects of safer teen driving and parenting tips.  “As parents, we need to be good role models when we are behind the wheel,” Corinne says.  “Inspire in your teen the confidence to say no to their peers.  Inspire in yourself the confidence to say no to your teen.  Know the graduated driver’s license law in your state; your teen does.  Wear your seat belt and your teen will also.  Make your teen understand this is not a video game they just shut off when they lose or make a mistake … this is real life and there are consequences for every decision made behind the wheel.  Many times those consequences are deadly.”

Fortenbacher emphasizes, “We all need to be aware of the severity of the problem of teen driving.  As a nation we can not accept nor ignore the nearly 6,000 teen deaths caused by inexperienced teen drivers in vehicle crashes each year.”

Fortenbacher speaks out often that the solution lies with the cooperative effort of law enforcement, educators, parents and teens.  “School districts should require a driver education class for the teens in their community.  Not a traditional drivers training class, but a class that is required for all freshmen teaching them the staggering statistics of teen driving accidents, the most common reasons for those statistics, and defensive driving techniques to help them understand and prepare for the responsibility of completing formal drivers training and ultimately being a licensed driver.” 

Finally, Fortenbacher concludes, “Be a parent to your teen, not their best friend.  Your child doesn’t need another friend. They need a parent to set boundaries and be their role model.

Contact:

Corinne Fortenbacher, Co-Founder

www.RookieDriver.Net

888-285-7875

Corinne@RookieDriver.Net

Allstate Survey: Nine of Ten Teens Want Friends To Be Safer on the Road in the New Year

With motor vehicle accidents claiming between 5,000 and 6,000 teen lives each year, a new survey commissioned by Allstate Insurance reveals that many teens do not take personal responsibility for safe driving and continue to engage in dangerous driving behaviors.While nearly 90 percent of teens surveyed said they hope their friends will be safer on the road in 2008, just 11 percent included “driving more safely” among their personal New Year’s resolutions. One-third (34 percent) of teens surveyed reported being frightened as a passenger because the driver was being careless, but did not say anything to the driver.

“Our survey found that teens are making New Year’s resolutions about getting better grades, exercising more and other good things, but far too few are resolving to be safer drivers,” said Victoria Dinges, Allstate assistant vice president of Public Social Responsibility and mother of a teen driver. “Car accidents are the leading cause of death for teens in the U.S., and the holidays are among the most dangerous times of the year for teens on the road. Unfortunately, our survey shows that teens have other things on their mind than driving safely.”

Are You Worried Now That Your Teen Is Driving? “When it comes to ‘New-Driver’ and ‘Student Driver’ car magnets, Rookie Driver products are the Preferred Choice of New Teen Drivers”
CLICK HERE to see.

According Allstate’s survey, approximately 40 percent of teens surveyed plan to exercise more and 40 percent hope to improve their grades, while only 11 percent will resolve to drive safer in 2008, ranking dead last in the survey.

Fifty-seven percent of respondents admitted to driving more than 10 miles per hour over the speed limit, 22 percent have raced another vehicle and 19 percent have received a traffic ticket. And an alarming 18 percent of respondents admit to being a passenger in a car being driven by a teen who was under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Further supporting the importance of peer influence that exists among teen drivers who are willing to break the law yet want their friends to drive safer, respondents were specifically interested in having their friends eliminate unsafe practices including driving without seatbelts (41 percent) and speeding (40 percent). And, while teens may be excited about the new MP3 player their friend as a holiday gift this year, they don’t want them distracted by it while driving. More than two-thirds of teens surveyed said they wanted their friends to avoid technology distractions (i.e. texting, talking on a cell phone, and scrolling through an MP3 player) while driving.

“These are alarming results considering every year for the past decade between 5,000 and 6,000 teenagers were killed in motor vehicle accidents. No other hazard or behavior comes close to claiming as many teen lives,” said Dinges. “As we reflect on our lives and see what we can be doing better for the upcoming year, encouraging safe driving is a great conversation for parents to hold with their teens. Parental guidance and involvement in these first and defining years is critical for young drivers.”

A recent study published by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development indicates intervention materials, such as a parent-teen driving agreement for newly licensed drivers, reduces high-risk driving behaviors such as texting.

The Allstate survey also shows that many teenagers are familiar with drivers contracts and that nearly one third (30 percent) of teens who have heard of these agreements have signed one. The dialogue that the contract opens - dialogue that needs to be sustained between parents and teens - can be just as important as the signed agreement.

“By opening up a dialogue with teens, parents can influence their child’s behavior - and nearly half of teens are having ‘good conversations’ with their parents about the importance of safe driving,” said Dinges. “However, the research shows the dialogue needs to be frequent and meaningful; a parent-teen driving contract is a good starting point for these discussions.”

Allstate’s Interactive Parent-Teen Driving Contract

Allstate’s Interactive Parent-Teen Driving Contract is a helpful tool for parents and teenagers to initiate a meaningful dialogue about safe and responsible driving. The contract can bring accountability to teens and parents as well as reinforce the responsibility of passengers and peers as it relates to driving.

Allstate is engaged in a nationwide national awareness campaign to help enable parents in discussing safe-driving practices with their teenagers. The Interactive Parent-Teen Driving Contract, available at www.allstate.com/teen, can be customized and personalized to address individual/family driver needs.

The contract includes ‘agreements’ and ‘consequences’ for eight categories, including: speeding and tickets; time of day; crashes; number of passengers; drinking and driving; seatbelts; cell phones / music / other distractions and grades.

The survey, designed and conducted by TRU, a youth-research specialist, polled 917 teens, aged 16 - 18 The interviews were conducted online to avoid any bias that adult-administered surveys may have. The sample is representative of the online U.S. teen population (93% of whom are online) and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points in total at the 95% confidence level. The survey was conducted between December 7-14, 2007.

The Allstate Foundation has been focused on teen driving as a priority since 2005. The program is designed to make smart driving socially acceptable to teens by surrounding them with messages that help change the way they think and act when in a car. The Allstate Foundation is an independent, private, non-profit organization funded by subsidiaries of The Allstate Corporation.

 SOURCE: Allstate

Teen Driving - Let’s Make it Safe for 2008!

Teen Driving is my passion.  During the past year I have become one of the prominent New Teen Driver safety proponents.  The reason for this?  I have 3 sons, and by next summer all 3 will be driving.   As we look forward to a new year, I’d like to share some invaluable information I have learned, with parents who have new drivers or will have teens attending drivers education this coming year. 

The problem of death due to teen driving accidents isn’t a new problem it has existed for a long time, as has the age old problem of how we can improve driving by America’s teens.  It is believed that the tragic loss of Pennsylvania college students in a car accident, inspired Penn State Professor Amos Neyhart, “The Father of Driver Education”, to develop the first driver education program in 1936. 

Are You Worried Now That Your Teen Is Driving? “When it comes to ‘New-Driver’ and ‘Student Driver’ car magnets, Rookie Driver products are the Preferred Choice of New Teen Drivers”

CLICK HERE to see.

 Many people have tried to find the answer to this terrible tragedy, the number one killer of teens – driving accidents.   Driver education programs are working hard to make our young people competent and skillful drivers.  Poor decision making, unskilled drivers and recklessness are not outcomes of the drivers training curriculum.  

Our focus needs to be on the main issue: effective and positive decision making by teens and their parents.  The one area that is not being discussed is the same problem area that so much of our society is afraid to touch, the family institution.  It is truly the parents of our teens who hold the key to their success as drivers. 

The GDL (Graduated Driver’s License) has been a positive step to prepare young people for the driving task but All of our new teen drivers need more than the 6 hours of behind the wheel instruction.   Many states have passed laws requiring 50 hours of behind the wheel practice with student and parent. Unfortunately many new teen drivers are getting little or no practice at home.  Many parents struggle with finding enough time to handle everyday life, let alone 50 additional hours of driving practice.  However, without this invaluable driving practice, you are increasing the possibility of your teen being involved in a serious accident.  The odds are great anyhow, but without supervised practice, your teen’s chance of being involved in a serious accident are increased.

During this important practice time it is important for all other drivers to be informed that the person operating your vehicle is a new driver.  Considering all the impatient drivers on the road, your new teen driver needs them to see the reason why your vehicle is driving more cautiously.  By using our “Rookie Driver” magnets, you make other drivers aware of your teen’s new driver status.  As a responsible parent you need to insist that these safety products are used.  Give your teen the choice of which style of magnet he or she prefers to use, but insist that they are used while your teen is acquiring their driving practice time and until they have developed the driving skills that are necessary for them to drive confidently and safely. 

Sometimes parents are more concerned with getting a license and car for their teens so that they do not have to be inconvenienced by providing shuttle service to and from the various activities that teenagers are involved in.   It is ultimately the parent’s decision and responsibility to determine whether their son or daughter has had enough practice and is ready and deserving to drive.  A parent who is in a hurry to get their child a license and vehicle, regardless of the reason, is taking a very big risk of increasing the chances for an accident. 

Parents, you know what?  Once they are licensed if they are driving too fast or reckless and not doing things the way you feel they should, then you must take the steps necessary to stop that behavior. If red flags show up, such as tickets, bad grades, bad friends, bad attitudes, out past curfew, then parents are the only ones who can really make the decision to put a hold on things for a while.  Parents must take an active roll in the development of a prepared and competent driver.   

You see it does take a village to raise a child. This is our problem that must be solved together but ultimately you, the parent are in charge.  Let’s start putting teen driving at a higher priority. These are our kids who will be our future, let’s keep them safe.

Have a safe and happy 2008! 

Corinne Fortenbacher

President, RookieDriver.Net

Email:  Corinne@RookieDriver.Net 

Website: www.RookieDriver.Net    

Young Drivers & Their Parents

Young Drivers Need Good Training And Caring, Involved Parents ; Keeping New Drivers Safe on the Road Can’t Be Entirely a Matter of Strict Laws.

by Portland Press Herald
July 20, 2007

What makes a driver safe?

While the typical young driver has the edge on most older ones in faster reflexes and sharper vision and hearing, there’s one thing people who have been driving for years have in spades that can’t be easily acquired by new drivers:

That’s right: experience.

And the lack of it can often get teenaged drivers in trouble.

Are You Worried Now That Your Teen Is Driving? “When it comes to ‘New-Driver’ and ‘Student Driver’ car magnets, Rookie Driver products are the Preferred Choice of New Teen Drivers”

CLICK HERE to see.

Maine teens, it seems, are more likely to be involved in harm on the road than most. A national survey of accident rates in 2005 found that Maine had the second-highest percentage of deaths from car accidents that year in the nation. That year, 37 of 169 traffic deaths involved 16- to 20-year-old drivers. Only Delaware had a higher percentage.

The problem doesn’t seem to be the state’s laws. In fact, Maine has one of the strictest laws governing young drivers in the nation.

The law says drivers under 18 may not be on the road between the hours of midnight and 5 a.m., which is the period when most fatal accidents occur. In addition, young drivers cannot carry passengers except for family members during their first six months behind the wheel.

Beginning this fall, drivers under 18 may not use cell phones or other electronic devices in a moving car.

One factor may be that Maine is a rural state with little public transportation, so young people need to drive more to get around here than, say, teens in New York City.

Experts say the best safety device after a good driver training course is a concerned and involved parent.

Having adults track the times and reasons that teens are on the road is the best way for those young drivers to encounter the limits that will help them gain the experience they need to become safer drivers.

2007 Portland Press Herald. via ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved

New ‘Teen Driving’ Alerts Taking Off Nationally

A mother’s drive to keep her teen son safe behind the wheel has grown into a business gaining national exposure.

Rookie Driver.Net is a Midwest company gaining national recognition on the issue of teen driving safety thru a line of safety alert products created by a mom and her teenage son.  Their products are currently sold in 44 states and Canada. Are You Worried Now That Your Teen Is Driving? “When it comes to ‘New-Driver’ and ‘Student Driver’ car magnets, Rookie Driver products are the Preferred Choice of New Teen Drivers” CLICK HERE to see.

The Michigan AP bureau, Detroit Free Press and other Midwest media outlets have recently covered the company’s expanding national “Rookie Driver” designation, which identifies new teen drivers behind the wheel.  But unlike a growing number of other student-driving car magnets on the market, these are actually cool.   

The story of how a mom and her teenage son worked together to improve teen driver safety, and built a company along the way, has national news appeal.  The link to the Associated Press story is listed below and a digital color photo is available in the AP photo library.  

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071128/BIZ/711280353/-1/ARCHIVE

For further information, please contact:

Corinne Fortenbacher, President
RookieDriver.Net

Spring Lake, MI  49456
888-285-7875
Email: Corinne@RookieDriver.Net
Website:  http://www.RookieDriver.Net

 

Or, visit Rookie Driver.Net’s Media Room at:
http://www.rookiedriverintraining.com/rookiedriver-news.html

Important Things to Remember for Safe Teen Driving

A new teen driver, as well as an experienced driver, can prevent collisions by reducing driver distractions and maintaining control of their vehicles.

The following list will help all kinds of drivers with varying levels of experience drive safely.  First of all – buckle-up. And, be sure all of your passengers are buckled up.

Are You Worried Now That Your Teen Is Driving? “When it comes to ‘New-Driver’ and ‘Student Driver’ car magnets, Rookie Driver products are the Preferred Choice of New Teen Drivers”

CLICK HERE to see.

1. Keep your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel! Driver distraction is reaching epidemic proportions in drivers of all ages, but especially in young, inexperienced drivers.  Driving is not a multi-functional task. It requires the driver’s full attention.

2.  Check mirrors and seat position as soon as you get into the car, not as you are driving. Fasten your safety belt and adjust your mirrors, the radio or CD player and the climate control settings. Keep music at a low level so you can hear a horn or siren.

3.  Do not talk on a cell phone while driving. Don’t make calls while driving. Let your voicemail pick up incoming calls. Return calls later when the car is safely parked in a parking lot.

4. Know the type of braking system that your vehicle uses. If your vehicle uses an anti-locking braking system (ABS), keep your foot firmly on the pedal if you stop suddenly. Do not pump the brakes in an emergency situation.  If your vehicle is not equipped with anti-lock brakes, press the brake pedal firmly, just short of locking the wheels. If your wheels lock, indicating a skid, let up slightly on the brake pressure. Then, reapply pressure to the brake. Continue this squeezing action until the vehicle stops.

 5.  The speed limit is the speed MAXIMUM not the speed requirement.  Reduce speed and keep a safe following distance. Slow down in bad weather or other poor driving conditions, such as rain, fog, snow, ice, and heavy traffic. If you are uncomfortable with the speed limit, for whatever reason, slow down.

6.  Don’t speed. Speeding will not get you to your destination faster. Speed influences a crash in four ways: 
    ■ It increases the distance your vehicle travels from the time you recognize an  emergency until you can react. 
    ■ It increases the distance it takes to stop your vehicle. The faster you go, the more distance it takes to stop your vehicle. 
    ■ It increases the crash severity. For example, if your speed increases from 40 to 60 miles an hour, your speed increases 50 percent while the energy released in a crash more than doubles. 
    ■ Higher speeds reduce the ability of seatbelts, air bags, guard rails and barriers to protect vehicle occupants in a crash.

7. Avoid jerky movements or overcorrecting. A sudden response or overcorrection, such as jerking the steering wheel to the right or left or slamming on the brakes can cause the vehicle to skid, swerve into oncoming traffic or veer off the roadway. You can avoid sudden surprises that lead to reactive moves by watching the traffic and roadway ahead, behind and around you.

8. Don’t drink and drive, and never be a passenger with a drinker.

source:  allencountydrivealive.org