National Teen Driver Safety Week Encourages Communication, Education

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Oct. 16, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Motor vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of death for teens in the United States and the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) is encouraging parents, teens, and all motorists to practice safe driving habits not only during National Teen Driver Safety Week, October 20-26, but at all times throughout the year.

This year marks the seventh year of nationwide observance for National Teen Driver Safety Week, promoting long-term behavior changes through safe driving education and communication efforts aimed specifically at teens. The theme of this year's week is 'It Takes Two: Shared Expectations for Teens and Parents for Driving,' and encourages parents and trusted adults to help teenagers become safe, skilled drivers.

"National Teen Driver Safety Week is about creating a dialogue about safe and responsible driving behaviors between parents and their teens," said Chris Cochran, Assistant Director of the Office of Traffic Safety. "Young drivers are especially vulnerable to injury or death on our roadways and having a dedicated week provides a unique opportunity to broach topics such as proper seat belt use, distracted driving and reckless driving."

According to 2010 research from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 2,700 teens in the U.S. aged 16 to 19 were killed and almost 282,000 were treated in emergency departments for injuries suffered in motor vehicle crashes.  OTS recognizes how essential this week is in the work to reduce these numbers, as the first two years of a lifetime of driving are the most dangerous.

For more traffic safety information, visit the California Office of Traffic Safety at www.ots.ca.gov, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) at www.nhtsa.gov, and Impact Teen Drivers at www.impactteendrivers.org.