New Government Data Reveals Great Gains

According to a new report released recently by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), minimum 21-year-old drinking age laws prevented an estimated 4,441 drunken driving deaths in the last five years alone.

At a Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) event, NHTSA Acting Administrator David Kelly, who presented the report, said, "Turning our back on these laws would be a deadly mistake. Minimum drinking age laws are among the most effective measures ever used to reduce drunken driving deaths among America's young people."

Besides estimating lives saved due to 21-year-old minimum drinking age laws, the new NHTSA study reveals the number of lives saved by motorcycle helmets has risen drastically in recent years, in conjunction with a rise in motorcycle use. It's estimated that lives saved by helmets increase from 1,173 in 2003 to 1,784 in 2007. For the five-year period ending last year, a total of 7,502 lives were spared because motorcyclists used helmets.

The new statistical report examined a series of additional safety issues, and showed that in 2007 alone:

• Frontal air bags saved 2,788 passengers age 13 and older.
• Child safety seats saved 358 lives of children age 4 and under.
• Seat belts saved 15,147 and might have saved another 5,024 lives if all vehicle occupants involved in fatal crashes employed them.

Is your teen a safe driver? The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration has developed a new Teen Injury Prevention course to emphasize driving safety for teenagers. For more information, including a Driver Education a Driver Education Book for Parents, visit www.safedriver.com.

NHTSA Offers Free Electronic Recall Alerts

Recently, U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters announced that under a new automated alert system, vehicle owners across the nation could be instantly informed of a safety recall. The recall alerts can be received via e-mail or RSS-feeds on Personal computers, cell phones or PDA devices automatically and free-of-charge.

Each year, there are about 600 vehicle recalls, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. When they are announced, one in four motorists ignore these recalls.

"It is extremely important that people are aware of recalls and act quickly to get their vehicles repaired," Secretary Peters said. "When it comes down to it, ignoring a recall means ignoring a safety defect that could put you and your family at risk."

Motorists can choose to receive all vehicle recalls, as they are made public, or personalize the alerts to specific vehicles.

Acting administrator of NHTSA David Kelly pointed out that the new vehicle recall notification system is an expansion of the agency's consumer safety communications program. The NHTSA also introduced automated recall alerts for child safety seats and tires earlier this year.

"I urge everyone to visit the safercar.gov website and sign up for all three recall alert programs," Kelly said. "In these cases, information is not just power; it can save your life and the lives of your family and loved ones."

To begin receiving NHTSA's recall alerts, go to www.safercar.gov and choose the "Email recall notifications" option.

Along with motor vehicle safety, driver education helps ensure the safety of Americans. Whether you're getting your Commercial Drivers License, your Learner's Permit, or your Motorcycle License, America's Driver's License Headquarters is TestQuestionsandAnswers.com.

Share Your Best Truck Tip And Win $5,000

Here's a tip to keep you safe: Keep your distance when driving behind a tractor-trailer. Large trucks need greater stopping distances than other vehicles.

Here's a truck tip to keep you healthy: Truckers who eat out for every meal ought to make every dinner include a vegetable or salad.

Here's a money-saving tip: When interstate driving, purchase fuel where fuel taxes are cheaper.

Here's a tip that could put cash in your pocket: Enter Progressive's Truck Tips Contest by submitting your best truck tips online at the Progressive Truck Tips Web site and earn a shot at a $5,000 grand prize. Progressive will feature the winning truck tip in a Progressive commercial auto insurance radio ad.

Besides a grand prizewinner, there will be six category winners of $500 each for:
• Funny Tips
• Fuel Savings Tips
• On-the-Road Tips
• On-the-Job Tips
• Driving Tips
• Safety Tips

"Truckers spend more time on the road than anyone, so they know better than anyone the common sense advice to follow and pitfalls to avoid," said Tom Corpus of Progressive's commercial lines group. "We want to give them a chance to share their knowledge with other motor carriers, while giving them the opportunity to learn more about truck insurance."

Submissions must be received by March 31, 2009. For more information and complete contest rules, visit http://www.progressivetrucktips.com.

Is your teen a safe driver? The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration has developed a new Teen Injury Prevention course to emphasize driving safety for teenagers. For more information, including a Driver Education a Driver Education Book for Parents, visit www.safedriver.com.

New Programs Help Parents Keep Tabs on Driving Teens

There are more than 3,500 teen driving deaths per year in the United States. Finding ways to making the road a safer place for teens is the focus of parents, government officials, health and safety advocates, and even insurance companies.

Because they take advantage of GPS technology, graduated licenses and expanded driver’s training are two programs that are quickly gaining popularity. One such example of a program that uses GPS to track teen driving habits is Teensurance.

"The Teensurance program provides parents with a suite of tools to actively monitor and manage their teenager's driving," Tim Haugaard, Teensurance Director of Product Management, said. "With its real-time tracking, speed alerts and curfew notifications sent via text message or e-mail, parents can identify and correct their teenager's driving behavior before an accident occurs."

Insurance companies such as Progressive, AIG, Allstate, are offering GPS tracking services. Many insurance companies offer insurance rate discounts for parents who take advantage of GPS tracking programs, according to Hussein Enan, CEO of online insurance comparison site InsWeb.com.

"Underwriting teen drivers has always been a complicated situation for insurance companies," said Enan. "They want to provide excellent service to parents, but teen drivers present a high degree of risk. GPS tracking services provide an easy and effective way to reduce the likelihood of risky driving behavior—it's win-win."

GPS tracking units that do not include real-time monitoring, but instead record driving data on a removable flash or hard drive, are also available. Although these devices do not provide real-time information about a teen’s whereabouts, the only investment required is the cost to buy and install the tracking unit. In general, they do not require a monthly fee. Insurance companies sometimes offer GPS tracking programs that are tied to "pay-as-you-drive" insurance policies. A relatively new type of policy, "pay-as-you-drive" ties insurance premiums directly to an individual's driving habits, mileage, and other factors.

Despite GPS technology having a proven track record, the impact it can have on teen driving safety is still being explored. One thing is certain however—with millions across the nation focused on helping teenagers drive more safely, GPS tracking services will play a significant role in teen driver safety in the future.

Online courses are now available to educate drivers on the rules of the road and the latest defensive driving techniques. Try it today!

Teen Driver Had Restricted Permit, Shouldn't Have Been on Road

Tennessee authorities say that the 16-year-old driver of a sport utility vehicle that went out of control and killed five people should not have been on the road.

Shortly before midnight Friday on a wet, foggy highway in Scott County, about 40 miles northwest of Knoxville, Shirley Nikki Hughett was driving with three teenage friends. Suddenly, her SUV hydroplaned on a curve on a two-lane highway, flipped on its side and crossed the center lane, slamming into the oncoming car. The SUV burst into flames, and all occupants died.

None of the teenagers were wearing seat belts.

According to Tennessee Highway Patrol spokesman Mike Browning, Miss Hughett held an intermediate restricted license, prohibiting her from driving after 11 p.m. or having more than one passenger in the vehicle.

Implemented in 2001, Tennessee's graduated license laws were intended to reduce traffic fatalities involving young drivers. Between 2002 and Oct. 6, 2008, the most recent data available, 1,073 teens were killed in car accidents in the state.

The safety laws created learner permit, intermediate restricted and intermediate unrestricted classifications for new drivers. Seat belts are required for passengers in a vehicle driven by a permit holder, and cell phone usage by drivers is prohibited.

The four high school cheerleaders, who only hours earlier been rooting on their football team, died in the crash. Police identified the teenagers killed as Scarlette A. Hill, 17; Jaime Hill, 15; Ashley Mason, 15; and the driver, Hughett.

Brandon Hughett, brother of Shirley Nikki Hughett, said the girls had been celebrating a fellow cheerleader’ birthday and were making their way home at the time of the crash.

A passenger in the second car, Jeweline Ledbetter King, 49, also died.

A University of Tennessee Medical Center hospital spokesman said King's daughter-in-law, 22-year-old Miranda King, was 33 weeks pregnant and lost her unborn baby. She remained in critical condition.

Malcum E. King Jr., 49, driver of the car, remained in serious condition at the hospital.
Ten-month-old Aiden Wilson was taken to a hospital but his condition was not immediately available.

Plans were under way in the Huntsville community to hold a candlelight vigil night at Scott High School, where the girls were students. Principal Bill Hall said that ministers, guidance staff and grief counselors were available to meet with help students cope with the loss.

Is your teen a safe driver? The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration has developed a new Teen Injury Prevention course to emphasize driving safety for teenagers. For more information, including a Driver Education a Driver Education Book for Parents, visit www.safedriver.com.

PennDOT Encourages Teen Drivers to Avoid Rookie Mistakes on the Road

During this year's National Teen Driver Safety Week, PennDOT reminded teen drivers and their parents/guardians to be aware of the behaviors that cause most teen driver crashes.

"While Pennsylvania has realized a reduction in crashes involving 16- and 17-year-old drivers over the past several years, due in part to Pennsylvania's graduated driver licensing program, many teen drivers still do not appreciate the complexity of driving," PennDOT Secretary Allen D. Biehler, P.E., said. "Drivers must constantly evaluate complex situations, make split-second decisions and perform intricate maneuvers. A teen driver's lack of experience and potential for risk-taking can be a dangerous, and sometimes deadly, mix."

In Pennsylvania in 2007, 104 16- or 17-year-old driver fatalities were the direct result of 9,833 crashes.

The main contributors of those crashes were driver inexperience, driving too fast for conditions, and improper or careless turning. Statistics prove that 37 percent of the crashes involving a 16- or 17-year-old driver in 2007 involved at least one of these factors.

What's more, driver distractions like using a cell phone, text messaging, having other teen passengers in a vehicle with the teen driver, adjusting the radio or eating while driving, all were major contributors to highway crashes. These behaviors take the teen driver's full attention away from driving. In 2007, driver distractions contributed to nearly 1,000 crashes involving 16- and 17-year old drivers.

Driving practice, limiting the number of passengers a teen driver can have in a vehicle, setting a good example for the teen driver, abiding by the law and exercising common sense can all reduce the risk of crashing.

With this in mind, PennDOT offers the following safety tips to teen drivers:

• Always buckle your seat belt.
• Never drink and drive. Drinking under the age of 21 is illegal.
• Do not talk or text on your cell phone while driving. It’s illegal.
• Obey the speed limit. Speeding gives you less time to react.
• Do not eat or drink while driving.
• Adjust radio and temperature controls before departing for your trip, and later, have your passenger adjust the controls for you, or pull over to a safe place to adjust the controls.
• A truck driver cannot see you if you cannot see his mirrors.
• Get directions and plan ahead. Always know where you are going.
• Depart early, and give yourself plenty of time to get there.
• Expect the unexpected.

PennDOT also reminds parents and guardians that adult supervision is a major part of keeping teen driver safety, as adults have the ability to best assess the teen driver's knowledge, skills and maturity. You should:

• Talk to your teen about driving before he or she turns 16.
• Sign a parent/teen driving contract.
• Restrict the number of passengers your teen is allowed to have in their vehicle.
• Until your teen gathers more experience, limit his or her driving at dawn, dusk and at night.
• Set a curfew, and enforce it.
• Gradually increase the amount of time and distance your teen is permitted to drive.
• When driving, do not allow your teen to eat or drink.
• Prohibit your teen from using a cell phone while driving.
• Enforce driving at speed limit and observing other rules of the road.
• Ride with your teen regularly to monitor his or her driving skills.

To read more tips for teens and parents, and to download the Pennsylvania Driver's and the How to Steer Them to Safe Driving manuals, go to http://www.dmv.state.pa.us and click on the Teen Driver Information Center.

Along with motor vehicle safety, driver education helps ensure the safety of Americans. Whether you're getting your Commercial Drivers License, your Learner's Permit, or your Motorcycle License, America's Driver's License Headquarters is TestQuestionsandAnswers.com.

New Website Stresses Safe Driving Habits

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles has unveiled a new Web site to reach out to teens about the importance of safety when behind the wheel.

The Web site: http://www.takethewheel.net/ includes written and video testimonials from teens talking about their close calls in vehicle crashes.

"Keeping teens safe is our greatest responsibility," said Electra Theodorides-Bustle, executive director of DHSMV.

Vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death among U.S teens. Over 36,000 teen drivers (age 15-19) were involved in crashes in Florida last year, according to the site.

Information about drunk driving and distractions, as well as quizzes of Florida's traffic-safety laws, can be found on the site.

The site was funded by a $100,000 grant from the Florida Department of Transportation's safety office.

According to Kim Jones, Projects and Programs Coordinator for the Florida Highway Patrol, the Web site allows students to upload their own testimonials as well.

Brandon Donaldson, 16, was headed to the movies with a friend. When they hit 80 mph, the car hydroplaned. Donaldson, who was not wearing his seat belt, was thrown from the car. Incredibly, he only has a few scars to show from the crash.

Recently, Donaldson, spoke about the crash at a news conference at Leon High School, calling on all students to "make smarter decisions."

Two laptops were set up in front of the high school after the conference to give students a chance to look at the site.

"It looks like teens could really relate to (the site)," Brejourne Williams, who at 16 has her learner's permit. "(Hearing about teen deaths and crashes) makes me want to drive safer."

Along with motor vehicle safety, driver education helps ensure the safety of Americans. Whether you're getting your Commercial Drivers License, your Learner's Permit, or your Motorcycle License, America's Driver's License Headquarters is TestQuestionsandAnswers.com.