Fatal motor vehicle crashes involving teen drivers 15 to 20 years of age have decreased dramatically in the United States, from 7,942 in 2004 to 3,966 in 2013. This decline is attributed to strong graduated driver licensing (GDL) laws and programs that encourage parental involvement in monitoring, coaching and supporting their new drivers. While the gains in teen driver safety are significant, too many lives continue to be lost. What else can State Highway Safety Offices (SHSOs) and the advocacy community do to drive down the numbers, particularly in states where additional legislative improvements to GDL laws are unlikely? To achieve the next level of success, the safety community must continue to not only engage more parents, but also reach other adults who have the opportunity and capacity to positively influence young drivers. Why other adult influencers? No doubt parents are key. In fact, teens welcome their involvement, citing their parents as the number one influence when it comes to learning to drive.. But what if a teen does not have an engaged, willing or available parent? And even if parents are involved with their novice drivers, teens typically spend more time with other adults–at school, while engaged in athletics or other extracurricular activities, and/or on the job. Using data from the American Time Use Survey, researchers found that teens 15 to 17 years of age spend the bulk of their day sleeping (9.4 hours), in school (5 hours) and watching television (2.38 hours). The remainder of their time is spent engaging in leisure activities, working, eating, playing sports or exercising, grooming, studying, and using the computer. While teens spend on average 50 minutes a day eating, fewer than half do so with their parents spending just 20 minutes or less together at the dinner table. This separation from parents and the family is part of a teen’s normal development process. It begins between the ages of 6 and 12 as a child’s need to identify with his or her peer group takes precedence. The process continues through the teen years, ending with complete independence by age 20 or earlier. During this time, experts recommend that parents encourage their teen to identify a trusted adult–someone to turn to or talk with when they don’t want to share something with mom or dad. This could be an aunt, an uncle, the parent of a friend, a teacher, a coach. When it comes to talking about driving, organizations such as NOYS (National Organizations for Youth Safety), SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) and FCCLA (Family Career and Community Leaders of America), which are led by adult professionals, are actively involved in facilitating initiatives with a strong peer-to-peer focus. These school-based programs are well received because the emphasis is on teens taking the lead, thereby minimizing the adult fingerprint. But there are other adults and organizations who can guide teens to make smart choices when it comes to their safety on the road. This publication examines adults–other than parents–who have the opportunity to influence teen decision-making about driving. It showcases safe driving initiatives that were uncovered through discussion with a panel of experts, extensive telephone and online research, and a survey of State Highway Safety Offices (SHSOs) conducted by the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) in March 2015. From teachers, coaches and police officers to doctors, lawyers and car and professional truck drivers, these other adult influencers have developed innovative teen safe driving programs and approaches that states and other stakeholders may be able to utilize to expand their reach to novice drivers. The report opens with a primer to help states and practitioners understand why and how to successfully partner with these other adult influencers. It also discusses what potential adult influencers need to know about teen safe driving to ensure they understand the extent and nature of the problem and become champions. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting