Chicago Car Accident Lawyer Blog

June 12 through 18 marked the National Safety Council's (NSC) Teen Driver Safety Week in conjunction with National Safety Month throughout June. This annual observance is designed to teach and encourage safe behaviors related to driving.

Our Chicago car accident lawyers know that car crashes kill more teens than the combined total of homicide, suicide and unintentional drug overdose, which are the next three leading causes. Sadly, we know that many teens will die in a summer car crash. New drivers have the greatest risk for being involved in an accident in their first year and first 1,000 miles they drive.

The NSC website is offering the following:

-Teen Driver: A Family Guide to Teen Driver Safety – This material helps parents manage their teen’s passage from beginner to independent driver. The material includes a written parent/teen driving agreement to help identify driving rules, restrictions and consequences.

-Alive at 25 Parent Program online training – In this two-hour online program, parents will be taught how to emphasize good decision-making and basic driving skills that can assist teens in becoming responsible, safe drivers.

-How can I keep my teen driver safe? This webinar will answer such questions as: How can parents and teens work jointly to decrease crash risk? What activities contribute to the largest number of teen driving crashes?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that an average of eight teens ages 16 to 19 died every day from motor vehicle injuries in 2009. Teen drivers, per miles, are four times more likely to crash than older drivers. What puts teen drivers at risk? A few risks include having too many passengers in the vehicle, inexperience, night driving, distracted driving and drunk driving.

Illinois Department of Transportation, Chicagoland Speedway and Route 66 Raceway have joined together to promote safe driving. Fans will be asked to sign the "Buckle Up America pledge: I Pledge to BUCKLE UP, Every Trip, Every Time and that all passengers in my vehicle will be properly restrained at all times." Adult race fans will be asked to sign the "Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk" pledge.

"We are pleased to join forces once again with racing fans at Chicagoland Speedway to promote traffic safety and positively impact millions more race fans in Illinois and across the nation," said Illinois Transportation Secretary Gary Hannig. "By promoting programs that increase safety belt usage and prevent impaired driving, NASCAR and Chicagoland Speedway events promise to remain a safe and enjoyable time for everyone. We hope to see many more fans commit to traffic safety this year."

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) says the next 100 days are the deadliest for teen drivers.

MADD wants parents to remind their young drivers to:

-Never drink and drive.

-Wear a seat belt.

-Don't use any electronic devices while driving.

-Keep passengers and night time driving to a minimum.