AAA Mid-Atlantic Launches Campaign to Fight Young Driver Deaths
23 September 1997
AAA Mid-Atlantic Launches Campaign to Fight Young Driver Deaths
PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 23 -- AAA Mid-Atlantic has launched a
campaign to help curb the leading cause of death among young people, a problem
that could worsen as the population of teenagers increases significantly.
The campaign -- "Licensed to Learn: A Safety Program for New Drivers" --
targets the high rate of crashes and fatalities among novice drivers ages
15 to 20, and calls for a series of key action steps. This initiative is part
of a national campaign that will be coordinated with activities by AAA clubs
in all 50 states.
"Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death among 15 to 20 year olds,
and are responsible for nearly one-third of the deaths in this age group,"
said AAA President Robert L. Darbelnet, "Yet in a survey conducted by AAA,
only 22 percent of 1,000 respondents identified traffic crashes as the
greatest threat to teenagers. Almost half listed the biggest risk as drug
addiction, which ranks 28th among all causes of death for persons in that age
group."
Drivers 15 to 20 years old account for only 7 percent of the driving
population but are involved in 14 percent of all fatal traffic crashes and
nearly 20 percent of total crashes.
More than 6,300 drivers and passengers ages 15 to 20 years died in traffic
crashes in 1996 -- an average of more than 17 deaths each day. Fatalities
could soar to 7,500 per year by 2012 -- more than 20 per day -- as the number
of young drivers increases by 25 percent in the next 15 years.
In 76 percent of fatal crashes involving 15 to 20 year old drivers, police
reports show driver error or other factors related driver behavior as the
cause of the crash.
AAA Mid-Atlantic says most crashes involving young drivers are caused by
inexperience, poor driving skills, risk-taking or poor decision making.
"Mistakes are part of any learning process, including driving," Darbelnet
said. "The issue is how to minimize the likelihood that crashes will occur
while young people are learning to drive and how best to protect them from
injury."
The problem extends beyond teenage drivers to the young people riding with
them. Two thirds of teen passengers killed were in vehicles driven by another
teen.
The "Licensed to Learn" program contains three key action steps:
-- Raise awareness of the importance of novice driver safety and
incorporate the issue into the national public health agenda.
-- Mandate more behind-the-wheel driving experience, provide guidelines
for selecting driver education courses and increase parent involvement
in teen driver training.
-- Implement a graduated licensing system for novice drivers and
eliminate deficiencies in the licensing process that allow new drivers
to become fully licensed without assuring they are ready to drive.
"We must provide an opportunity for new drivers to gain experience in the
safest possible on-road environment since much of what novice drivers need to
learn about responsible driving can only come from behind-the-wheel
experience," said Regina M. Tracy, AAA Mid-Atlantic public affairs manager.
AAA Mid-Atlantic encourages parents to request a free copy of the "License
to Learn" report by sending a post card with your request to: AAA Public
Affairs, License to Learn, 2040 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103.
AAA Mid-Altantic is the fourth largest AAA-affiliated automobile club
providing travel, automotive, insurance and financial services to more than
2.2 million members in the states of Delaware, Maryland, Virginia,
Pennsylvania, and New Jersey and the District of Columbia.
Persons Killed, by State and Age Group
1995/1996
Age Group (Years)(A) 1995 1996
State 16-20 21-24 Total Killed Total Killed
AL 161 (14.5%) 124 (11.1%) 1,113 1,143
AK 8 (9.2%) 4 (4.6%) 87 80
AZ 117 (11.3%) 103 (10.0%) 1,031 993
AR 108 (17.1%) 54 (8.6%) 631 615
CA 503 (12.0%) 436 (10.4%) 4,192 3,989
CO 98 (15.2%) 64 (9.9%) 645 617
CT 41 (12.9%) 37 (11.7%) 317 310
DE 11 (9.1%) 12 (9.9%) 121 116
DC 5 (8.6%) 11 (19.0%) 58 62
FL 309 (11.0%) 238 (8.5%) 2,805 2,753
GA 193 (13.0%) 161 (10.8%) 1,488 1,574
HI 17 (13.1%) 20 (15.4%) 130 148
ID 54 (20.6%) 29 (11.1%) 262 258
IL 236 (14.9%) 171 (10.8%) 1,586 1,477
IN 135 (14.1%) 121 (12.6%) 960 984
IA 79 (15.0%) 63 (12.0%) 527 465
KS 55 (12.4%) 47 (10.6%) 442 491
KY 144 (17.0%) 83 (9.8%) 849 841
LA 136 (15.4%) 93 (10.5%) 883 781
ME 22 (11.8%) 23 (12.3%) 187 169
MD 83 (12.4%) 57 (8.5%) 671 608
MA 48 (10.8%) 43 (9.7%) 444 417
MI 216 (14.1%) 151 (9.9%) 1,530 1,505
MN 74 (12.4%) 74 (12.4%) 597 576
MS 82 (11.9%) 71 (10.4%) 686 811
MO 175 (15.8%) 108 (9.7%) 1,109 1,149
MT 29 (13.5%) 14 (6.5%) 215 200
NE 43 (16.9%) 27 (10.6%) 254 293
NV 36 (11.5%) 22 (7.0%) 313 348
NH 12 (10.2%) 11 (9.3%) 118 134
NJ 89 (11.5%) 68 (8.8%) 773 818
NM 83 (17.1%) 44 (9.1%) 485 481
NY 203 (12.1%) 157 (9.4%) 1,674 1,564
NC 206 (14.2%) 148 (10.2%) 1,448 1,493
ND 15 (20.3%) 13 (17.6%) 74 85
OH 229 (16.8%) 139 (10.2%) 1,366 1,395
OK 101 (15.1%) 63 (9.4%) 669 772
OR 85 (14.9%) 47 (8.2%) 572 524
PA 197 (13.3%) 149 (10.1%) 1,480 1,469
RI 10 (14.5%) 4 (5.8%) 69 69
SC 100 (11.4%) 109 (12.4%) 881 930
SD 11 (7.0%) 18 (11.4%) 158 175
TN 194 (15.4%) 135 (10.7%) 1,259 1,239
TX 420 (13.2%) 328 (10.3%) 3,181 3,741
UT 58 (17.8%) 31 (9.5%) 326 321
VT 18 (17.0%) 15 (14.2%) 106 88
VA 141 (15.7%) 97 (10.8%) 900 875
WA 90 (13.8%) 57 (8.7%) 653 712
WV 52 (13.8%) 51 (13.6%) 376 345
WI 105 (14.1%) 76 (10.2%) 745 761
WY 31 (18.2%) 21 (12.4%) 170 143
USA 5,685 (13.6%) 4,263 (10.2%) 41,798 41,907
1996
Total Fatalities 41,907
Drivers Age 15-20 6,319 (15.1%)
Drivers Age 16-20 5,791 (13.8%)
Drivers Age 21-24 4,112 (9.8%)
(A) 1995 Data
SOURCE AAA Mid-Altantic