Teen Drivers Are Involved in More
than Five Times As Many Fatal Crashes As Adults

Car crashes are the number one killer of teens in the U.S. On average, nearly 8,000 are involved in fatal crashes each year.  The Ad Council, a coalition of state Attorneys General, consumer protection agencies, SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) and AAA (American Automobile Association), are launching a new campaign, UR the Spokesperson, designed to save lives and reduce youth reckless driving by enlisting teen passengers to “Speak Up”.   Reckless driving, or “fun risky behavior,” is perceived as a right-of-passage for many teen drivers.  While most teens are initially wary of expressing their discomfort with a friend who’s driving recklessly for fear of appearing uncool, all teen passengers experience a flashpoint of anxiety when a friend is driving dangerously.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data show that in 2005, 8,193 Americans were killed in crashes involving young drivers (ages 15-20). 2,171 of those fatalities are passengers in the young drivers’ vehicles. Young drivers are more likely to speed, run red lights, make illegal turns, and die in an SUV rollover.  The campaign includes a series of PSAs, a new Web site and a soon-to-be launched contest.  The PSAs feature a stereotypical, over-the-top spokesperson who appears in the car to deliver safe driving tips.  The ad concludes with the message “There is no spokesperson to prevent reckless driving.  There’s only you.  Speak up.”  

Key Facts About reckless driving:

• Reckless driving includes speeding, weaving through traffic, tailgating, racing, and distracted driving.
• Most 15 - 21-year-olds killed in crashes are NOT wearing seatbelts.
• Young males most likely to speed, and/or not wear seatbelts.
• Younger drivers are 68% more likely to roll over than older drivers.
• Teens believe SUVs handle like cars; not mindful of risks including rollover.

Campaign’s objectives:

• To encourage passengers to speak up when they feel threatened in a car driven by a friend.
• To alert young drivers to the dangers of speeding and have them understand the relationship between their reckless driving behavior, not wearing a seat belt, and an increased risk of injury or death, especially while operating an SUV.
• To reduce the number of injuries and deaths among 15 to 21 year-old drivers and passengers in car crashes resulting from youth reckless / aggressive / unrestrained driving.

For more information about the campaign and to see the ads, please visit www.urthespokesperson.com .

 

Click to close window