U.S. Road Report Focuses on Improving Safety of Teen Drivers
Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) July 18, 2016 -- Car crashes remain the biggest cause of death among teenagers in the United States. In fact, there are more teen fatalities from motor vehicle accidents than all other causes combined. Most crashes are due to inexperience, distracted driving, lack of proper restrictions, and missing or faulty vehicle safety measures. DEKRA’s 2016 U.S. Road Safety Report focuses on teen driving safety and preventative measures.
While the number of teen traffic fatalities has dropped more than 50 percent over the last 10 years, the U.S. still leads in teen traffic fatalities compared to most other industrialized nations. When compared to our British counterparts, fatal teen crashes are more than three times higher in the U.S.
“Teenagers are less experienced and they tend to drive older and typically less-safe vehicles,” says Donald O. Nicholson, President and CEO of DEKRA North America. “Combine that with common distractions such as smartphones and other young passengers and you start to understand why this segment of drivers is more at risk. Safe, teen driving is important to all Americans and our families. We at DEKRA are dedicated to creating a safety-centric culture for all drivers, especially our youth.”
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 1,691 were killed behind the wheel of a car and 623 were passengers in a car being driven by a young driver. An estimated 177,000 more were injured in car crashes. And, although young drivers account for just 6% of all license holders, they account for 9% of fatal crashes. Studies show that many of these accidents could have been prevented by both legislative and parental leadership. Measures to improve safety include:
• Implementing Graduated Drivers Licensing (GDL) programs to expand education and license restrictions.
• Encouraging comprehensive programs like Vision Zero to take root. Vision Zero, launched in Sweden in 1997, aims to reduce the number of roadway fatalities to zero, and as a movement is gaining momentum globally.
• Installing Global positioning systems (GPS), tracking technology, and/or smartphone blocking capabilities on teen’s cars.
• Increased parent involvement in driver training and education.
Download the full 2016 US Road Safety Report at RoadSafetyReport.com for more facts and practical advice on how we can together make our roads safer.
Lyndsey Coates, DEKRA North America, http://www.dekra-na.com, +1 (678) 214-3628, [email protected]
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