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AAA encourages parents to become involved in teen driver safety

Date: 11/2/2010

WEST SPRINGFIELD -- AAA empowers parents to get involved with their teens' learning-to-drive process with the launch of its new teen driver safety Web site, TeenDriving.AAA.com. The interactive site helps parents and teens manage the complex coming-of-age process by providing users with specific information based on where they live and where they are in the learning process from preparing to drive (pre-permit) through the learner's permit and solo driving.

"Parental involvement is critical in developing safe and prepared teen drivers," said AAA Pioneer Valley President and CEO Chris Mensing. "AAA recognizes the learning-to-drive process can be intimidating, particularly for today's busy families. TeenDriving.AAA.com is a unique and comprehensive teen driver safety website that simplifies the process by offering parents the tools and resources they need as they progress through each stage of the process. This makes what can be a daunting task for parents and teens much easier to manage."

The site features AAA StartSmart, a series of online newsletters and webisodes based on the National Institutes of Health's Checkpoints program, which has been scientifically shown to help parents improve teen driver safety and is being offered nationally for the first time. Some of the topics covered in AAA StartSmart's 18 newsletters and webisodes include:
  • Nighttime driving;

  • Distracted driving;

  • Alcohol and other drugs; and

  • Parent-teen driving agreements.


The site also offers an online version of AAA's Dare to Prepare workshop and lessons from the motor club's Teaching Your Teens to Drive coaching program, both of which assist families that are or soon will be learning to drive.

Parents will find information about their state graduated driver licensing (GDL) systems, selecting a driving school and choosing the right vehicle for their teens. Parents will also learn more about some of the common risks associated with teen drivers.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens, killing nearly 6,000 teens annually, and the risk of motor vehicle crashes is higher for 16- to 19-year-olds than for any other age group. Through safety programs, driver training and legislative efforts, AAA is an active leader in helping to reduce the number of teens injured and killed in vehicle crashes.

"For years, AAA has been a leader in the area of teen driver safety through our legislative advocacy work to establish and improve graduated driver licensing systems across the country," Darbelnet said. "Our educational, programmatic and public outreach efforts have also engaged and supported parents and teens through each step of the learning-to-drive process. TeenDriving.AAA.com represents another large step putting these resources online where parents nationwide can access them."

As North America's largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides nearly 52 million members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services. Since its founding in 1902, the not-for-profit, fully tax-paying AAA has been a leader and advocate for the safety and security of all travelers. AAA clubs can be visited on the Internet at AAA.com.