TAMPA, Fla. — The perceived need for instant communication has made the cell phone a must-have for teenagers. Nothing seems to stand between teens and their peers, not even the known dangers of driving distracted. National Teen Driver Safety Week is Oct. 18-24, designed to draw attention to teen driver behavior and car crashes which kill more than 5,000 teens annually.
“The already increased risks associated with novice drivers coupled with the distraction of sending and receiving text messages is a recipe for disaster,” said Leticia Messam, traffic safety manager, AAA Auto Club South. “Our attitudes towards text messaging and cell phone use have to change in order for drivers, especially teens, to realize the immediate dangers and try to make wise decisions to ensure safety.”
Text messaging causes reaction times to decline by 35 percent and steering control to decline by 91 percent, according to a 2008 Royal Automobile Club Foundation study. And, research from the University of Utah showed drivers are eight times more likely to crash when texting than when not texting.
In an effort to get novice drivers thinking about traffic safety, AAA now offers a free teen membership to any 15-year-old whose parents are members. The goal is to reach out to new drivers and ultimately make our roads safer.
AAA offers various programs to educate novice drivers and provide tools to make them feel more confident behind the wheel. Additionally, a dedicated website – www.AAA.com/teens – includes safety tips, driver’s tests, insurance data, and other valuable information for the new driver.
AAA also offers a traffic safety contest for teens ages 13 to 19. The contest is a grassroots effort designed to engage teens and their peers in conversations that will improve driver safety, by encouraging them to create effective avenues and messages that resonate with fellow teens. The message and the means of delivery will be left up to the students, but could include an Op-Ed piece published in a college newspaper or community weekly; a PSA broadcast on radio or cable TV; a poster displayed in high visibility areas; or a video for a Social Media site, etc. The deadline is Nov. 20.
For contest details and all aspects of the AAA Safe Summer Campaign and a variety of traffic safety topics, please visit www.AAA.com/SafeSummer.
AAA Auto Club South has 79 branch offices serving more than 4.1 million members in Florida, Georgia, West and Middle Tennessee and Puerto Rico. Since its founding in 1938, AAA Auto Club South has worked to protect and advance freedom of mobility and improve travel safety.
Local News
October 20, 2009
AAA conveys the dangers of texting while driving to teens
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