As our children grow, there are those milestones in life that we as parents look forward to. Their first day of kindergarten, scoring their first goal in hockey, losing their first tooth and graduating high school. In the mind of the teenager though, nothing usually holds a bigger priority than obtaining their driver’s license. They obtain their learners license, usually take a driver’s education course and then the day is here. You sit at the registry office, waiting, not knowing whether you want them to obtain their license or not because you know what that will mean. Then, in they come, smile from ear to ear with the words “I got it”. You’re very proud of them….but terrified at the same time.
Teen driver safety is a huge issue in Canada – while young people only make up 13% of licensed drivers, they account for approximately one quarter of all road-related injuries and fatalities. Most of these injuries and deaths can be prevented. National Teen Driver Safety Week (#NTDSW) is October 19-25, 2015. #NTDSW designed to stop the clock on unnecessary teen deaths on the road by raising awareness and seeking solutions.
Myhealthalberta.ca reports that most teen drivers overestimate their driving abilities and underestimate the risks of driving. Crash rates are especially high during the first year of unsupervised driving. Using smart risk strategies – look first, get trained, buckle up, and drive sober – can help teens have a better experience behind the wheel and keep their passengers safe. It’s also reported that the majority of teen vehicle accidents are caused by distracted driving.
Dangerous Distractions – The smart risk strategy to “Drive Sober” is about how important it is to drive without impairments or distractions of any kind. Think about these facts:
Drivers in fatal collisions are almost four times more likely to have alcohol in their system than drivers in non-fatal injury collisions.
About half of the 15 to 24-year old males badly injured in a motor vehicle collision tested positive for alcohol.
Drivers under the influence of marijuana are six times more likely to have a fatal crash than an unimpaired driver.
Drivers using cell phones are four times more likely to crash than other drivers.
Fatal crashes involving 16-year old drivers are more likely to happen when there are other teens in the vehicle – the more teens in the car, the higher the chance of a fatal crash.
Passengers need to know that driving should take your full attention, especially for new drivers. Don’t let passengers distract you.
Alberta’s distracted driving law restricts drivers from texting, reading, using hand-held cell phones, and other distracting activities while driving. The fine for this offence is $172.
TeenDriving.com offers great tips for teen drivers. Everything from what to check on your vehicle before even heading out, to important rules of the road to what to do if you are in an accident. Even reminders such as checking your gas gauge, remembering when it’s time to get an oil change and watching for wildlife when driving in rural areas.
Parachute is a charity helping Canadians stop the clock on predictable and preventable injuries. Parachute’s Project Gearshift is a national awareness campaign focused on teen driver safety in Canada. A key focus of Project Gearshift is National Teen Driver Safety Week (NTDSW). The second annual NTDSW was held in Canada from October 19-25, 2014, and was a huge success. Many organizations, groups, and individuals answered the call by taking action in their local communities to raise awareness and drive change around this issue. The third annual NTDSW will be taking place from October 19-25, 2015; where they hope to keep the momentum going and build on the successes garnered in 2014.
You can participate and take the #PracticeSafeText pledge today! Canadians from across the country have participated in the social media campaign that aims to drive awareness to the issue of injuries & deaths resulting from texting while driving and walking. To learn more about Parachute, visit www.parachutecanada.org
