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One Out of Five Teens `Never' Wear a Seat Belt, Says SADD/Liberty Mutual Survey

    BOSTON--May 20, 2002--

"Buckle Up America Week" (May 20 - 27) Spotlights Motor Vehicle Accidents as #1 Cause of Teenage Deaths

    It's "Buckle Up America Week," (May 20-27) and a national survey shows that too many teen drivers are tempting fate behind the wheel.
    New results from an annual survey conducted by SADD, Inc. (Students Against Destructive Decisions/Students Against Driving Drunk) and Liberty Mutual Group reveal that more than one in five young drivers (22 percent) `never' wear a seat belt, and more than two in five (41 percent) only wear their seat belt `occasionally.'
    SADD and Liberty Mutual gathered information on teen driving habits as part of its third annual survey of young people on teenagers' behaviors on various issues and their attitudes about the many pressures they face. The results are from the responses of more than 1,600 middle and high school students across the United States.
    According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 6,390 young people in the U.S., ages 15-20, died in motor vehicle crashes in 2000. Of those, 64 percent were unrestrained. "The numbers don't lie - failure to wear a seat belt greatly increases the likelihood of serious injury or death if involved in a car crash," said Stephen Wallace, SADD's national chairman and chief executive officer. "Our data shows that we still have much to do in the area of seat belt safety education for teen drivers."
    John B. Conners, Liberty Mutual executive vice president and manager, Personal Insurance, added, "Motor vehicle accidents remain the number-one killer of young people in America, and it is alarming to continually see such high incidents of neglect when it comes to wearing a seat belt."

    Parental Influence Needed

    For the third consecutive year, the SADD/Liberty Mutual research has uncovered trends among teen drivers, identifying both areas of concern and opportunity for behavioral and attitudinal change. Prior years' studies reveal that parents can be very influential in their teens' driving behaviors, including seat belt usage. In 2001, the SADD/Liberty Mutual survey found that teens whose parents talk with them about driving behaviors are more likely to say their parents influence their driving habits (63 percent) than those whose parents do not talk to them about driving behaviors. However, the 2000 survey revealed a misconception by parents about the prevalence of the seat belt problem, resulting in the absence of strong safety messages from parents - 84 percent of parents surveyed in 2000 believed their teen drivers wore their seat belts `constantly'.
    "Our body of data is unveiling some negative realities, but some very positive opportunities," said Mr. Wallace. "Clearly, teen driving can be heavily influenced by those parents who take the time to address this critical issue."

    Communication is the Key

    SADD and Liberty Mutual have created a library of solutions for parents and teens to improve family communication about driving behaviors and other life-and-death issues:

-- SADD's "Opening Life-Saving Lines" brochure. This free guide helps parents and teens negotiate the SADD "Contract for Life," a reciprocal covenant in which teens commit to always wear their seat belt and to never ride with an impaired driver, and parents agree to provide safe transportation home if their teen is ever in an unsafe situation. The brochure is available by calling 1-877-SADDINC.
-- Liberty Mutual's "Avoiding Collisions - How to Survive the Teenage Driving Years" video, a 15-minute family program that covers four dangerous teen driving issues -- seat belts, speeding, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and driving at night. The free video is available from a local Liberty Mutual sales office, or by calling 1-800-4-LIBERTY.
-- SADD/Liberty Mutual Family Communication Tips, suggestions for families to openly and honestly discuss the issues that teens face every day. These tips are available online at www.saddonline.com and www.libertymutualinsurance.com.

    More information about the SADD/Liberty Mutual survey results is available online at www.libertymutualinsurance.com or www.saddonline.com
    SADD, Inc. sponsors peer-to-peer education and prevention programs in middle schools and high schools nationwide.
    Celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2002, Boston-based Liberty Mutual Group is one of the largest multi-line insurers in the North American property and casualty industry. Offering a wide range of products and services, including private passenger auto and homeowners insurance, Liberty Mutual Group employs 35,000 people in more than 800 offices throughout the world.