Prom Season Means Teen Drinking and Driving Season

Take the Safe Road Home Quiz with Your Teen and Possibly Save Their Life; 'If more parents and their kids read this book, it would save lives. No doubt about it.' - Knoxville News Sentinel

NEW YORK, April 4 -- According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for 15 to 20 year-olds in America. Of those accidents, 29% involve an intoxicated driver; factoring in their passengers raises the death toll to 50% - quite a startling statistic.

In the spirit of National Alcohol Awareness Month (April), the best solution to the problem of teen drinking and driving may be a proactive discussion between parents and teens. In their upcoming book and DVD set, Safe Road Home, Kirk Simon and Karen Goodman have created a simple quiz to test your knowledge of drinking and driving statistics. Their hope is by opening the discussion with your teens, you may be able to help them navigate through peer pressure and ultimately save their lives.

"The most difficult part about addressing the subject with teens is getting kids to see that they're not invincible and are truly at risk," offers Goodman. "It can be difficult for parents to break through in a meaningful way that allows teens to see this as a life and death issue - rather than a parental power struggle.

"One point that parents must keep in mind is that it's best to talk with their teens when everyone is calm and sober. Screaming at your kids after they've come home from a party doesn't help things - it's best to wait until the morning."

While the issue is best tackled at home, Simon believes part of the solution may lie with lawmakers: "More states should adopt a restricted license plan for young drivers and all states should prohibit cell phone use while driving, as well as other dangers of distraction that can add risk."

  SAFE ROAD HOME QUIZ

  1. At what age does the average young person first try alcohol?

  a. 10
  b. 12
  c. 15
  d. 16
  e. 17
  f. 18

  2. When do most teen crashes occur?

  a. During the week
  b. Over the weekend

  3. On a typical weekend in the United States, how often do you think a
     teen dies in a car crash?

  a. Every 30 minutes
  b. Every hour
  c. Every two hours
  d. Every 24 hours

  4. Where are teens most likely to drink?

  a. At home
  b. At a friend's house
  c. In their own or someone else's car
  d. In bars
  e. Outdoors

  5. What is the percentage of teen crashes that involve alcohol?

  a. 25%
  b. 50%
  c. 75%
  d. 100%

  6. What percentage of teens say their parents have spoken to them in the
     past month about drinking and driving?

  a. 25%
  b. 50%
  c. 75%
  d. 100%

  ANSWERS

  1. B.  12 years old, according to the American Medical Association.
  2. B.  There is a 50% greater risk for a car crash over the weekend than
         during the week.
  3. B.  This means 48 will die next weekend.
  4. A & B.
  5. B.  Alcohol is involved in about 50% of fatal teen car crashes.
  6. A.  When parents were asked the same question, according to the Century
         Council survey, 75% reported speaking to their teen within the past
         month about the dangers of drinking and driving.

  About SAFE ROAD HOME

Safe Road Home (released April 3rd, by Sterling Publishing., Inc.) and the accompanying DVD of the Parents' Choice award-winning HBO documentary Smashed: Toxic Tales of Teens and Alcohol, aim to help parents talk to their teen about drinking and driving by challenging the "It can't happen to me" myth. Safe Road Home takes a brutally honest look at this subject, featuring detailed advice, new research, and safe-driving tips from leading experts. For parents and teens alike, the book also includes quizzes, solutions to everyday scenarios, a Smashed viewing guide, and true stories about teens who survived alcohol-related crashes - and some who did not. For more information, visit http://tinyurl.com/ntlgj.

About the Authors/Filmmakers

Karen Goodman and Kirk Simon are a husband-and-wife documentary filmmaking team. Three-time Academy Award(R) nominees, their films for HBO, PBS, and National Geographic have also won numerous Emmy(R) Awards and have been screened at film festivals worldwide, from Sundance to Berlin. They are both active members of the Writers Guild of America and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Their production entity, the Simon & Goodman Picture Company, is based in New York City, where they live with their two children.