Local Teens Rally Against Their No. 1 Killer at “Keep the Drive Philadelphia”

WHO:

More than one hundred teens representing Lankenau and Germantown High Schools

The Allstate Foundation

WHAT:

Keep the Drive Philadelphia is a teen-to-teen movement to help students change the way they think and act in a car. It empowers teens to be smart driving activists among their peers. As one of 20 summits nationwide sponsored by The Allstate Foundation this year, the event encourages teens to help reduce the 6,000 teen deaths caused by car crashes each year.

After the event, student leaders at Germantown High School will stage a protest to take on the No. 1 killer of teens, create memorials and recruit fellow students to join them. These students will leave their mark on school grounds through a memorial to represent the students who die each day in teen-related crashes, as well as banners and signs reminding their peers to drive smart.

WHEN:

WHERE:

Keep the Drive Rally

Germantown High School

40 E. High St.

Philadelphia, PA 19144

WHY:

A national survey conducted by The Allstate Foundation in 2005 found that peer-to-peer outreach is an essential, and often overlooked, component of teen driving programs. Keep the Drive is the only national teen-led smart driving movement in the U.S. It puts teens in the driver's seat to combat the following trends:

-- Each day an average of 16 teens die in crashes in the U.S., causing more deaths each year than drugs, suicide or violence.

-- Nearly 6,000 teens die annually in crashes, according to 2003 statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Pennsylvania has the 6th highest number of teen-related motor vehicle crashes in the nation - in 2005, there were 286 fatalities in crashes involving teenage drivers in Pennsylvania.

-- Most teen car crashes are preventable, caused by driver error, speeding and distractions including text messaging and cell phones.

VISUALS:

-- Students gathering to share personal driving stories and discuss local tragedies

-- Students creating smart driving action plans to ultimately save teen lives

-- Students staging protest with signs, banners and memorials

-- Students engaging their peers to drive smart and take the Keep the Drive pledge