As statistics come from the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) that teen driver deaths have declined statewide, National Teen Driver Safety Week rounds out its events. The decline in deaths is good news for both the state and Congress, which initiated the national safety campaign for teens two years ago; since their ultimate goals of teen safety parallel each other.
National Teen Driver Safety Week
This year's National Teen Driver Safety Week was celebrated October 19 - 25, 2009. The focus of the week was to teach teens to drive responsibly alone and with friends. One program introduced during the week was "Ride Like a Friend," which encourages teens to be good passengers while their friends are driving. In order for teens to "ride like a friend," they must wear their seat belts, minimize distractions, and help whenever they're needed.
According to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), a co-sponsor of the safety week, teens face very high risks of car crashes when traveling with other teens. In fact, the likelihood of a teen getting into an accident is four to five times greater with three to four teens in the car versus the teen driving with one passenger or solo.
Driver Deaths Decline in Illinois
The good news is that while Congress is encouraging teens to drive safer, many in Illinois are already following suit. According to IDOT, 32 drivers ages 16 to 19 were killed behind the wheel in the first nine months of the year, which is far better than 2007's stats, which show 69 deaths in the first nine months of the year.
According to Illinois' secretary of state, the reason for the decline is the teen driving task force that was put together in 2006 to help decrease the death rate. Some results of the task forces efforts include:
Tripling the length of time required with a learner's permit. Creating tougher passenger restrictions. Extending...|
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