National Teen Driver Safety Week — held this week through Friday, October 26th – aims to build national awareness about safe teen driving practices. Created by the Federal Congress in 2007, NTDSW engages teens, parents, and teachers throughout the country and is sponsored by over 50 organizations — including
State Farm Insurance and
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia – and is endorsed by the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Participating in these national campaigns and activities helps spread the message about safe teen driving. Please check with your community group, church or high school for local opportunities.
Make a commitment
State Farm hosts “celebrate my drive,” a chance for students throughout the United States to pledge a commitment to safe driving on behalf of their high schools. Schools with the most commitments can win grants and other prizes including an in-school concert by Kelly Clarkson.
Learn more.
Play a game
The American Automobile Association Foundation for Traffic Safety (AAA Foundation) is offering discounts for
DriverZed, an interactive computer game that exposes new drivers to over 100 different scenarios. They are also offering a reduced price for
Teaching Your Teens to Drive, the accompanying parent handbook. Learn more.
Create an announcement
Teens can create and spread their own safe-driving campaign with help from Ride Like A Friend. Drive Like You Care (RLAF), a national peer-to-peer initiative. The program provides tips and templates for classroom engagement activities. These include a student Public Service Announcement contests, secret ballots, and a driving safety “pop” quiz.
Learn more.
Get your teachers involved
School instructors at all grade levels are encouraged to teach students about the consequences of poor driving decisions with Impact Teen Drivers, a national resource for safe driving education. The site allows users to develop their own lessons and includes grade-appropriate building blocks.
Learn more.
Sign an agreement
The Parent-Teen Driver’s Agreement, a customizable contract, helps parents outline consequences and rewards for teen driving practices. The template can be downloaded on the Center for Disease Control website.
Learn more.
Image Source: State Farm on Flickr, http://www.flickr.com/photos/statefarm/
