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National Safety Council, News release, May 29, 2002

(CITY, STATE) -- During Driving Safety Week, June 2 through 8, the National Safety Council (NSC) will focus on two driving safety issues:  Teenage Driving and Child Safety Seats. Driving Safety Week is part of the 2002 observation of National Safety Month. The Council is pleased to have Liberty Mutual as a major sponsor for Driving Safety Week.
Teenage Driving
Crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers - in some years the fatal involvement rate for teen drivers is three times higher than the overall rate. Statistically, teens make up less than 7% of the nation's licensed drivers, but they're involved in 14% of all fatal crashes.
*Parents have always had mixed feelings about handing over the car keys to newly-licensed teens, no matter how well they are prepared,* NSC President Alan C. McMillan explained.  *Unfortunately, parents have good cause to worry. The dismaying fact is that teen drivers are involved in more motor vehicle crashes than any other group.*
Teens who ride with teens are also disproportionately vulnerable.  Sixty-five percent of teen passenger deaths occur when another teenager is behind the wheel.  And darkness presents yet another risk factor:  41% of fatal crashes involving teenagers occur at nighttime, between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m.
But getting a driver*s license doesn*t have to put teenagers--and their friends--at unnecessary risk.  During Teen Driving Safety Week the Council will focus on helping families increase their teens* safety even while enjoying the independence that a new license promises. In particular, the Council recommends adopting the standards of Graduated Driver Licensing, a three-stage process that puts teens behind the wheel but in lower risk settings so they can get the experience that builds safe driving practices and attitudes.  
Child Safety Seats
 *Children need special protection when traveling in motor vehicles,* McMillan said. *Safety experts say that between 80 and 90 percent of child safety seats are installed and/or used incorrectly.*   
Every day, children sustain serious injuries and die in motor vehicle crashes. Many of these injuries and deaths can be avoided with the correct use of child safety seats and safety belts. However, many adults are unaware they are using the safety restraint incorrectly, thereby placing their child at risk.   Children are not small adults. Their bodies are very different from ours. Their skulls are more fragile, theirs heads are proportionately larger, their rib cage is thinner, and they're shorter.
 The National Safety Council's National Safety Belt Coalition, a network of organizations and individuals, promotes the lifesaving benefits of correctly used safety belts and child safety seats. During Driving Safety Week and throughout the year, the Coalition will provide quick safety seat tips for families as well as useful materials, ideas, speakers and technical assistance. 
Other weeks during National Safety Month focus on home and community safety (June 9-15), environment and public health (June 16-22), and workplace safety (June 23-29).  For a comprehensive view of National Safety Month activities and safety tips, visit the NSC website at http://www.nsc.org/nsm.htm. The National Safety Council is a not-for-profit, nongovenmental, international membership organization dedicated to protecting life and promoting health.  The NSC estimates that 4.2 million lives have been saved through improved safety practices since the Council was established in 1913.