National Teen Safety Week News

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It’s National Teen Driver Safety Week, to promote it several organizations are providing education and events.

National Safety Council Counsels Parents

Despite the fact that teen motor vehicle deaths are on the decline in the U.S., they still remain the No. 1 cause of death for teens1. During National Teen Driver Safety Week, the National Safety Council is urging parents to stay involved in their teen’s driving education so the number of deaths continues to decline.

Parents can use National Teen Driver Safety Week – Oct. 20 through 26 ­– to get involved and stay involved:

  • Set rules and expectations with your teen driver. A parent-teen agreement is ideal for outlining rules, privileges and consequences for both parties. NSC offers a free agreement – the New Driver Deal – at DriveitHOME.org
  • Practice with your teen for at least 30 minutes each week, and make sure when you are driving that you follow the rules of the road. The safer you drive in front of your teen, the more likely he or she will be to adopt those safe habits.
  • Make sure your teen knows – and avoids – the dangers of distraction. Let them know it’s OK to put the phone away or disconnect from in-car infotainment systems and drive distraction-free.

NSC will host a live Twitter chat in recognition of National Teen Driver Safety Week from 11 a.m. to noon CT Thursday, Oct. 24. Parents, teens and others interested in teen driver safety are encouraged to join the chat on the NSC Twitter page (@NSCSafety) and use the hashtag #NTDSW_19.

UPS Road Code in Los Angeles/Venice

In honor of National Teen Driver Safety Week, Boys & Girls Clubs of America will host a special UPS Road Code® event for 100 teens from Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Los Angeles in partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of Venice on Thursday, October 24 in Los Angeles. Joining the event will be actor/comedian JB Smoove, along with volunteers from UPS.

The UPS Road Code program is a safe driving program created for teens and includes a driving simulator to create a “behind the wheel” experience. The program offers a variety of safety tips and guidance, from basic driving instruction to the consequences of risky behaviors such as talking on cell phones, texting or drinking while driving. Throughout the program, teens have a chance to practice what they’ve learned on driving simulators, which feature a steering wheel, responsive gas and brake pedals, and a computer screen that serves as a windshield in the program’s interactive animation.

To date, more than 48,000 teens in the U.S., and more than 10,000 novice drivers have received UPS Road Code safe driving training, thanks to support from The UPS Foundation.

Boys & Girls Clubs across the nation and overseas will hold additional events throughout the week to promote teen road safety in their local communities. The thousands of teen Boys & Girls Club members across the country will be represented at the Los Angeles event by this year’s UPS Road Code National Ambassadors. Brekiya H. from Boys & Girls Club of Central Arkansas and Jazmin W. from Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton Harbor each received $2,500 in scholarships from The UPS Foundation.

Michelin Penny for Free Ride to College

Michelin is offering teen drivers the chance to win a free ride to college — just by checking their car’s tire pressure or tread depth and sharing it on social media. 

Teens face a lot of pressure every day, and the pressure of going to college is high on the list ― safe tire pressure and tread depth is not.

So in the new phase of its Beyond the Driving Test program, Michelin will give teen drivers and their parents a #PennyForAFreeRide, teaching them about a serious safety threat and encouraging them to act.

For the chance to win, teen drivers should:

  • Take a photo or video of themselves doing the “Penny Tread Test” or checking their tire pressure.
  • Post the image on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook, mentioning @MichelinUSA and using #PennyForAFreeRide or upload an entry on our the Michelin website.

Hanover Insurance Commitment

In recognition of National Teen Driver Safety Week, The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. reaffirmed its commitment to promote safe driving habits for teens by partnering with EndDD.org, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating youthful drivers about the dangers of distracted driving.

EndDD.org was founded in 2009 and is a project of the Casey Feldman Memorial Foundation. The organization was founded by Casey’s parents, Joel Feldman and Dianne Anderson. Casey Feldman was just 21 years old when she was struck and killed by a distracted driver in July 2009 in Ocean City, NJ.

Cars.com Suggests Features for Teen Drivers

Jennifer Newman at Cars.com advises parents to look out for the following safety tech features as they shop for their new teen driver:

  • Forward collision warning monitors a vehicle’s speed, the speed of the car in front of it and the distance between vehicles. If the vehicles get too close, this technology will warn the teen driver to slow down and move to a safe distance between vehicles.
  • Automatic emergency braking systems detect an impending forward crash and alert teen drivers to take action. If the driver doesn’t respond, the system automatically applies the brakes. This technology is critical in avoiding a forward crash and reducing the severity of an impending collision.
  • Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connect smartphones to the car’s infotainment system. This feature allows teens to use some features from their smartphone but still limit their distractions while driving.
  • Lane keep assist and lane departure warning systems alert teenage drivers when the vehicle begins to move out of its lane. For teens still learning how to navigate the dimensions of a car, these features will help keep them from drifting into other lanes or alert them when they do.
  • Rear cross-traffic alert detects cars passing behind a vehicle when backing up. For teens learning to drive, backing up is one of the most challenging tasks. This technology allows them to back out of parking spaces more safely.
  • Blind spot warning systems sense other vehicles located in the driver’s blind spots. For teen drivers, learning a vehicle’s blind spots and how to check for other vehicles properly takes time; this can help them learn that skill.
  • Ford’s MyKey and Chevrolet’s Teen Driver modes allow parents to control vehicle safety settings such as speed, radio volume or seat belt alerts. For teen drivers, this feature reduces distracted driving, speeding and ensures they are safely buckled in.