Teen Driving Safety: Parental Involvement and Cell Phone Bans Needed, Says GHSA

Statement for Attribution to Christopher J. Murphy, Chairman of the Governors Highway Safety Association

WASHINGTON, Jan. 25, 2007 The following statement was released today by Christopher J. Murphy, Chairman of the Governors Highway Safety Association:

Today, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and State Farm Insurance Companies released a broad new research report, Driving: Through the Eyes of Teens. This comprehensive look at students' perceptions and experiences surrounding teen driving gives us important insight into the challenges presented by teen drivers. The report will assist states as we strengthen graduated driver licensing laws (GDL) and develop programs and initiatives to reduce teen deaths and injuries. Among the findings of particular interest to GHSA:

  -- The Role of Parents -- According to the report, 56 percent of teens say
     their parents have been involved in teaching them to drive. Research
     shows that parents who are actively involved in teaching their children
     to drive have safer teen drivers. Parents must assume primary
     responsibility for reducing crash risk for their children.

  -- Safety Belt Use -- Only 65 percent of teens said they consistently wore
     their safety belts as both a driver and a passenger. To dramatically
     increase this number, every state needs to pass and enforce a primary
     safety belt law which permits law enforcement officers to pull a
     vehicle over if occupants are not wearing safety belts. Currently, only
     25 states and D.C. have enacted these laws. Until every state has
     acted, parents must ensure their teens buckle up consistently.

  -- Cell Phones and Distracted Driving -- Eighty-nine percent of teens said
     they have seen a teen driver on a cell phone while driving, and 48
     percent admitted to the behavior themselves. Driving while distracted,
     while unsafe for all drivers, is particularly dangerous for novice
     drivers.  To help address this, every state should enact a novice
     driver cell phone ban as part of the state's GDL. Currently, 13 states
     and D.C. have these bans for novice drivers.

     While cell phones are perceived to be the most common distraction, the
     report indicates that nearly all teens (93 percent) have seen another
     teen driving with peers in the vehicle. Federal and insurance industry
     research has demonstrated that teen drivers carrying another teen
     passenger have twice the risk of a fatal crash compared to the risk of
     driving alone.  While 37 states have provisions for restricting the
     passengers of teens, the remaining 13 states need to quickly enact this
     life-saving provision.

  -- Speeding is clearly an issue deserving of attention from federal, state
     and local safety officials, as half of all teens reported driving 10
     miles per hour or more over the posted limit at least some of the time.
     Additionally, nearly all teens (92 percent) indicate they have seen
     other teens similarly speeding. Speed contributed to approximately a
     third of all fatal crashes and 38 percent of fatal crashes involving
     male drivers ages 15 to 20 in 2005. To address this issue, the federal
     and state governments should implement the recommendations of the 2005
     National Forum on Speeding. These include: more widespread use of
     automated enforcement, increased enforcement in residential areas,
     school zones and work zones and implementation of a communications
     campaign to personalize speeding-related crashes.

GHSA is grateful for this study and looks forward to working with the researchers on future efforts to reduce teen deaths and injuries.

Note: GHSA and the Ford Motor Company Fund have developed Driving Skills for Life (DSFL). This comprehensive, free program incorporates the four driving skills safety experts believe have the most promise of preventing crashes: Hazard Recognition, Vehicle Handling, Speed Management, and Space Management. DSFL provides learning materials for use by students, parents, educators, and instructors and is appropriate for use at home, in schools and in community settings. Visit http://www.drivingskillsforlife.com/ for more information.