Press Release - 10-16-2022
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Sunday, October 16, 2022
GTSC MARKS TEEN DRIVER SAFETY WEEK WITH IMPORTANT REMINDER TO PARENTS AND ADULT MENTORS
National Teen Driver Safety Week Runs from October 16 through October 22
Parents, Teachers and Adult Mentors Reminded of Their Role in Educating and Setting an Example for Young Drivers
As part of the National Teen Driver Safety Week, a week to raise awareness of the tremendous risks teens face on the road, the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC) today reminds parents, teachers, coaches and adult mentors to talk to young drivers about important rules they need to follow to stay safe while driving. National Teen Driver Safety Week, now in its 15th year, runs through October 22. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for 15 to 18-year-olds in the United States.
“It is our job as parents, caregivers, teachers and mentors to ensure young drivers have the resources and knowledge to be safe on the road,” said GTSC Chair and DMV Commissioner Mark J.F. Schroeder. “Helping young drivers develop safe driving skills early on is a top priority for New York State.”
To help promote safe teen driving and prevent tragedies on New York’s roadways, GTSC has continued its partnership with Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD). During the last year, New York SADD and their network of young leaders in chapters across the State, completed over 406 programs, including 104 virtual and 285 in-person engagements focused directly on traffic safety, reaching over 25,000 students. Through SADD core programs, young drivers increase their knowledge of seat belt safety, GDL laws, digital distraction, and the implications of each behind the wheel.
SADD’s Director of Field Engagement Lauren Zimmerman-Meade said, “We are incredibly proud of our students over the last few years of physical and social distancing that have continued sounding the horn on the destructive decisions we see occurring behind the wheel. Peer-to-peer education is a unique and challenging space, but one where our young people can thrive and truly help one another make smart decisions and be better informed in all areas of health and safety. SADD will continue to impress the importance of occupant protection and being belted in every seat of a vehicle, on every ride, every time, and avoiding impaired driving in all forms. Through our empowering and educational programs, we are ensuring that our students have a voice, the know-how to speak up when they feel like they are in danger and address an issue before it happens, and the advocacy skills to help save lives.”
Another major component of New York’s teen traffic safety is the Graduated Driver License Law (GDL). The GDL places restrictions such as nighttime driving rules and passenger limits on drivers under 18-years-of-age who have a junior learner permit or junior driver license. The law is intended to provide time for teens to gain critical experience in various traffic scenarios in a safe and controlled manner.
According to the University at Albany’s Institute for Traffic Management and Research, while police reported personal-injury crashes involving 16- and 17-year-old drivers increased 27 percent from 2020 to 2021, fatal crashes decreased 45 percent during that same time.
Both GTSC and DMV have useful information for young drivers and their parents or caregivers. That information can be viewed at https://trafficsafety.ny.gov/younger-drivers-toolkit-0 and https://dmv.ny.gov/younger-driver/information-parents.
About GTSC
Combined with education and enforcement campaigns, GTSC coordinates various traffic safety activities throughout the year, and supports ongoing initiatives to improve pedestrian, motorcycle, and bicycle safety. The GTSC also sponsors critical training for law enforcement, provides resources for teen drivers and their parents, and promotes seatbelt use statewide. For more information about traffic safety in New York State, please visit the GTSC website at https://trafficsafety.ny.gov/.
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