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LAKEWOOD, NJ (July 16, 2013) -A new Kars4Kids survey revealed that despite high awareness and knowledge (97.8 percent) of the dangers of texting while driving among drivers, many U.S. adults and teens engage in the deadly behavior anyway. The survey also indicated that 42.7 percent of drivers read incoming messages while driving and 29.9 percent send out text messages while driving, despite said knowledge. The study was conducted in a July 2013 survey among 1,000 U.S. adults ages 18 and older.

Additional findings show that 45.2 percent of U.S. adults and teens think that speeding is the leading cause of death among teens, when, in fact, research shows that texting while driving is actually a far greater cause of death than any other distraction on the road. Of the 1,000 people surveyed, only 33.5 percent thought that texting while driving was a leading cause of death.

The majority of respondents, 92.9 percent, agree that the actions of parents have major impacts on their children and yet the survey indicates that even adults continue to text and drive, despite knowing the dangers. Furthermore, according to a study by AAA 46% of teens admit to texting while driving. Even so, 55% of people said they've never talked about the dangers of texting and driving in their household.

"Based on our survey results, we see that people think that speeding is the major cause of death among teens, texting is second and drinking is third. But, the truth is, texting is actually the leading cause of death among teen drivers", said Kars4Kids spokesperson Steven Weldler, "So why is it that so many parents are willing to speak with their kids about drinking and driving, and speeding, but they're not willing to discuss texting and driving? We need to find a way to get it into the minds of teens, and parents, that texting and driving is not okay. And it needs to stop."

Auto accidents are the leading cause of death for teens, and distracted driving often caused by texting is the leading cause of those accidents. However, according to the Kars4Kids survey, only 33% of people are aware of that fact. And further, a whopping, almost 20 percent of people actually know someone who has been involved in an accident because of texting and driving. "While the number seems low, it still represents 228 respondents. That's 228 people who may have had their lives altered, quite significantly, because of texting and driving. It's scary." Mr. Weldler said.

Kars for Kids, the leader in national charity car donations used to help educate children, joined the fight against texting and driving on June 21, 2013 when they launched a public awareness campaign and published a Website designed to discourage texting and driving.

Kars4Kids is a non-profit organization that works to give back to the community through a variety of education, youth development, family outreach, and faith-based programs. The organizations provide an array of services to children and families including educational programming, school placement, tuition assistance, mentorship programs, cultural activities, religious instruction, recreation and guidance counseling.

For the latest information about the initiative, please visit the Kars4Kids website or check them out on the Kars for Kids Facebook page.
Survey Methodology
This survey was conducted within the United States on behalf of Kars4Kids from July 9-13, 2013 among 1,000 adults ages 18 and older. This survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology and results, please contact 5W Public Relations.

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Press Release: New Survey Indicates Most US Drivers Are Aware Of The Dangers Of Texting And Driving Yet Many Do It Anyway - Kars4Kids Smarter Parenting

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National car donation charity Kars4Kids releases new data on the battle to end texting and driving. LAKEWOOD, NJ (July 16, 2013) - A new Kars4Kids survey revealed that despite high awareness and knowledge (97.8 percent) of the dangers of texting while driving among drivers, many U.S.

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Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death amongst teenagers aged 15-19. For this reason, it is extremely pressing to find an intervention that will be effective and heeded. Here are some interventions that have found to be efficacious in vitro:
Graduated Drivers Licensing:
Research suggests that the most comprehensive GDL systems are associated with a 38% reduction in fatal crashes and a 40% reduction in injury crashes among novice teenage drivers (CDC, 2010) as well as a 8-14 % reduction in rate of fatal accidents among all teenagers (NIH,2011).
Parental Intervention:
Parental oversight can be the most efficacious and important intervention as parents can "steer" their teens in the right direction for safe driving.

Parental influence is detrimental to the success of the novice driver. It is important to provide the the teen with a warm, supportive, yet stern environment. Teens who view their parents as authoritative figures experience a:

50% reduction in crashes

71% less likely to drive intoxicated

30% less likely to use cell phones while driving

50% more likely to use a safety belt and understand its importance

(CHOP,2009).

Checkpoint Programs are designed to increase parental limits on novice teen independent driving in high risk situations

Study conducted by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (Zakrajsek,2009) .

Participating in Checkpoint programs reported significantly increased parental awareness of said teen's driving risks at licensing (p-value 0.0134).

Families participating in the checkpoint program are more likely to impose (and agree) on parental restrictions on teen driving meeting Checkpoint's standards.

Report Restrictions in intervention vs control:

Finally, 95.8 of teens participating in this program recommended a parent-teen agreement, despite restrictions placed on driving.
Reducing Peer Passengers

Driving without peer passengers is a very effective way to reduce the rate of a fatal crash

The reduction of risk is ~ 75% from cars with three or more passengers compared with those with no passengers.

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Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death amongst teenagers aged 15-19. For this reason, it is extremely pressing to find an intervention that will be effective and heeded.

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The 100 day period between Memorial Day at the end of May and Labor Day at the beginning of September have historically been the deadliest period for teen drivers. Free time, lack of structure, boredom, alcohol, and distracting passengers all lead to a dangerous driving environment for teens. The infographic above shows the dangers posed when one or more teen passengers are carried by an inexperienced teen driver.

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100 Deadliest Days For Teens: Infographic - Safe Teen Driving Blog

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The 100 day period between Memorial Day at the end of May and Labor Day at the beginning of September have historically been the deadliest period for teen drivers. Free time, lack of structure, boredom, alcohol, and distracting passengers all lead to a dangerous driving environment for teens.

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Parents of teen drivers often wonder what the deciding factor is to successfully teaching their child to be a safe driver.

The answer is ... they are.

According to Beverly Shirk, pediatric trauma care coordinator at Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital, parents who exemplify safe driving habits produce the most successful drivers.

"It starts the moment you turn the car seat around," she said.

Shirk, also a part of the Teen Driver Awareness Program at the Children's Hospital, shared additional tips to encourage safe driving habits to coincide with Teen Driver Safety Week this week.
Enforce the law
-- Pennsylvania law states that underage drivers may not drive past 11 p.m. (or before 5 a.m.), and parents should enforce that curfew and not allow their teens to drive after hours.

-- Only a certain number of passengers may be in the car depending on the situation. Shirk says parents should establish and enforce rules regarding who may be in the car and how many passengers are allowed at one.

-- All passengers must wear seat belts.

-- Make sure your teen understands the consequences of underage drinking or taking drugs and driving. About 20 percent of the teen driving accidents seen at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center since January have been the result of driving under the influence, Shirk said.
Make sure teen drivers know where they're going
Review directions ahead of time, whenever necessary. Knowing the directions before the driver gets in the car will prevent the distraction of a GPS or map.
Know the condition of the car
"It's not just about putting gas in it," Shirk said. The tires should be checked regularly and the engine maintained to prevent mechanical failure that could lead to a crash.

Parents are responsible for repairs and addressing any issues as well, she said
Establish good communication
Shirk said the best thing parents can do is stay calm and be available. Teens will not want to tell you if they had a near miss or if something happened if they know you're going to overreact. Parents should not to judge, but listen and give good advice.

"Talk to your kids to let them know that they can call you any time, any day and you will come and get them no questions asked, no lectures," she said. "It's better than getting the phone call from the hospital or the police that your teen was involved in a crash or worse."
Already had an accident?
After an accident, a teen driver will eventually need to get back on the road. Shirk suggests that parents get in the car and drive with their child again or ask someone their child will trust and feel comfortable with, like a driving instructor. Teens need to rebuild their confidence and feel comfortable with their own skills.

If an accident ends up in court, a judge could mandate participation in the Teen Driver Awareness Program at the Children's Hospital. A parent may also encourage their teen to attend even if it's not required. The next session will be held from 8 p.m. to noon Saturday, Nov. 16. Parents are welcome but not required to stay for the class. Anyone is welcome, but class size is limited. Call 717-531-3885 to register.

For more information on teen driver laws and safety, visit http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/teenDriversCenter/newTeenDriversLaw.shtml or http://www.cdc.gov/PARENTSARETHEKEY/.
The Medical Minute is a weekly health news feature brought to you by Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Articles feature the expertise of Penn State Hershey faculty physicians and staff, and are designed to offer timely, relevant health information of interest to a broad audience.

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The Medical Minute: Parents are the key to safer teen drivers | Penn State University

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Parents of teen drivers often wonder what the deciding factor is to successfully teaching their child to be a safe driver. The answer is ... they are. Beverly Shirk, pediatric trauma care coordinator at Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital, explains.

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As a percentage of the U.S. population, the number of teens who drive has been declining. However, there are still 13,000,000 licensed drivers under the age of 20 -- and according to a recent study, over one in ten of them will drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol tonight.

The study was conducted by Liberty Mutual Insurance and SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions). Earlier this year, the two organizations led focus groups with teen drivers in Boston and Atlanta, then surveyed roughly 1,700 high schoolers in the 11th and 12th grades. The focus groups and surveys explored questions about drug and alcohol usage and driving -- specifically, driving on New Year's Eve.

The findings were mixed, to say the least. On the upside, teens are aware of the dangers of being on the road tonight. In fact, 49% agreed that merely driving on New Year's Eve is very dangerous or extremely dangerous. Of those surveyed, 87% said that they would ask an intoxicated driver to hand over the keys, and 92% said that if they were drunk, they would stop driving when asked. (Of course, these questions were posed while the kids were sober: the answers might be different after a couple of beers of bong hits.)

On the downside, 12% of teens say that they drove drunk or under the influence of drugs last New Year's Eve. And parents aren't helping improve matters:

47% -- nearly half of all teens surveyed -- said that their parents allow them to attend parties where alcohol is served. That's up considerably from 36% in 2010.

37% say that they're allowed to drink so long as their parents are around (up from 30% in 2010).

29% say that they're allowed to drink without parental supervision (up from 21% in 2010).

15% say that they're allowed to host parties where alcohol is served (up slightly from 14% in 2010).

So, while teens certainly aren't innocent when it comes to drinking, the survey clearly fingers parents as part of the problem. According to SADD's Stephen Wallace, "Many adults have a 'been there, done that' mentality when it comes to the issue of impaired driving among teens. Yet, research points out that a majority of their children know that this is a timely and important issue."

Roughly 10% of highway fatalities in the U.S. involve teen drivers, and a significant percentage of those accidents involve alcohol. If you have a teen driver in your house, the best time to have a conversation with him or her about the dangers of driving while intoxicated is long before they get on the road. Liberty Mutual has put together a Parent-Teen Driving Contract that can help start the conversation. You can learn more about it and download a copy here.

We hope you have a very safe and happy New Year's Eve. We'll see you all here tomorrow.

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1.5 Million Teens Will Drive Under The Influence Tonight: Infographic

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As a percentage of the U.S. population, the number of teens who drive has been declining. However, there are still 13,000,000 licensed drivers under the age of 20 -- and according to a recent study, over one in ten of them will drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol tonight.

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* Two Illinois schools take high honors in teen driving safety program

* The schools held various events to promote student and parent driving safety

* Both schools received funds to hold after-prom events

As more and more teenagers obtain drivers licenses and their own vehicles, teen driving safety becomes a more important issue. This is especially true when many of those teenagers also possess cell phones. Distracted driving is a danger for drivers of any age and experience level, but it can be an even bigger hazard for younger and less experienced motorists. Schools across the country and taking various steps to promote teen driving safety on both their campuses and across the nation. Two Illinois schools took high honors in the divisions the competed in when it came to promoting safe driving for students of the respective schools.

One of the two schools placed first in its region, with the second school claiming second place in its own region. The program that the schools were competing in is called Operation Teen Safe Driving and is a joint effort by the Illinois Department of Transportation Secretary, the Illinois State Police, the Governors Highway Safety Association, and the Ford Motor Company Fund. The program works to both raise general awareness of the dangers of distracted driving and decrease the number of car accidents associated with teen driving.

The program grants schools that are chosen to take part $2,000 to be used in creating promotional items and to pay for events like mock crashes. One of the two Illinois schools put together checkpoints, during which they determined whether students were using seat belts. Students from that high school also promoted safe driving at their elementary schools with the hopes that the children would encourage their parents to drive safely. The high school students also participated in an initiative where they passed out Smarties to drivers who were driving safely and Dum Dums to those who were driving unsafely.

Students from the other school promoted the importance of ignoring cell phones while driving to fellow students. They wanted to remind other drivers of the importance of putting away cell phones while behind the wheel. That school also conducted a program where students "died" on a certain day due to car accidents.

They were "taken" by the Grim Reaper and could not talk to anyone else for the entire remainder of that day.

Both Illinois schools report that they have seen some improvement in teen driving safety since participating in the safe driving program. Each school also received money as a result of placing so high in the program. The money will be used for after-prom events. Additionally, students from both groups will be able to participate in an event where students will drive on courses with professional drivers who distract them or while wearing goggles that interfere with their vision.

While teen driving safety is important to promote, especially when it comes to the dangers of distracted driving, these measures sometimes come too late to prevent car accidents. Those who are injured or lose loved ones in such motor vehicle collisions may be able to seek financial restitution by filing civil lawsuits in a court of law. Our personal injury and wrongful death law firm can be reached at 1-888-586-7041 in order to discuss the specific facts of your case. We can help you determine whether filing a lawsuit may be in your best interests. Nobody should have to pay for medical or other related expenses that were caused through no fault of their own. Please contact us as soon as possible to schedule a free meeting to find out how we can help you.
Disclaimer: The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely upon advertisements.
Sources: http://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/news-news_education/153077924/Students-award-for-safe-driving-campaigns

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Two Illinois schools take honors for teen driving safety initiatives

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Two Illinois schools take high honors in teen driving safety program * Both schools receive money to encourage safety while discouraging distracted driving * The schools held various events to promote student and parent driving safety * Both schools received funds to hold after-prom events As more and more

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31% of teens feel unsafe when driving with a parent

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31% of teens feel unsafe when driving with a parent

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17-26 years old talk on their phones for more than 2 hours each day. and only 94%keep their phone on them while driving