Motor vehicle crashes remain the number one cause of death for U.S. teens, as roads in America continue to be increasingly deadly. According to National Safety Council estimates, more than 21,340 people were killed in crashes during the first six months of this year. These numbers are down 1% from the same period last year but up 15% from 2020. For teens, NSC analysis shows occupant deaths totaled more than 2,400 in 2020, the latest year of available data, up 15.6% from 2019.
To reverse this deadly trend, DriveitHOME, an NSC program dedicated to keeping teens safe on the roads, partnered with Honda as part of their corporate social responsibility team’s initiative to support young driver safety. NSC and Honda will virtually bring together parents and experts from across the country via 15 brand new, free statewide parent nights. These virtual events will educate parents on the issues and risk factors teen drivers are up against, and provide state-specific information for parents such as crash rates and GDL laws.
“Data show more and more teens are not making it home safely. It is heartbreaking and unacceptable,” said Mark Chung, executive vice president of roadway safety at NSC and parent of three. “Parental involvement is needed now more than ever, and NSC is thrilled to be working with Honda to educate parents on how and why it’s imperative to keep young drivers safe. As a parent and longtime driver myself, I found these resources extremely helpful in not only providing thoughtful guidance to my teens but also in helping me create open dialogues about the importance of safe driving.”
The parent nights also feature guest speakers and survivor advocates, with the ultimate goal of arming parents with information and new resources they can use to get involved in their teen’s driver education process. These virtual gatherings begin, starting with Texas and California, Jan. 23, 2023 and run through Feb. 23. For more information and to register to attend these free events, please visit DriveitHOME.org/ParentNight.
The National Safety Council is America’s leading nonprofit safety advocate – and has been for more than 100 years. As a mission-based organization, we work to eliminate the leading causes of preventable death and injury, focusing our efforts on the workplace, roadway and impairment. We create a culture of safety to not only keep people safer at work, but also beyond the workplace so they can live their fullest lives.