Because motor vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of death and injury for teens living in the United States, AAA Texas and the City of Dallas will host a free event to educate teens about traffic safety. The Teen Driver Safety Fair will include interactive exhibits and take-home resources to help pre-permit teens, beginning drivers and their families navigate through the difficult learning-to-drive process and beyond. This event will take place on Saturday, August 17, 2019 at Dallas City Hall Plaza in downtown from 1 P.M. to 4 P.M.
“The goal of the AAA Texas Teen Driver Safety Fair program is to help teens understand the consequences of bad driving behaviors such as not wearing seatbelts, speeding, distracted driving by other passengers and technology, drowsy driving and alcohol and drug-impaired driving,” said Daniel Armbruster, AAA Texas spokesperson. “AAA Texas is excited to join forces with the City of Dallas to help make our communities safer for all drivers, as motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of deaths for teens living in the U.S.”
Teen Driving Facts
Distractions, speeding and impaired driving are leading contributors in teen driving crashes.
- 60% of all teen crashes involve a form of distraction. Other passengers and technology such as mobile phones are some of the top distractions for teens behind the wheel.
- 1 in 10 of all motor vehicle speed-related fatalities involved a teen driver.
- 29 percent of all motor vehicle deaths involving a teen driver were speed-related.
- According to teendriving.aaa.com, 28 percent of teens said within the past 30 days, they had ridden in a car with a driver who had consumed alcohol.
- Approximately 5,000 people under age 21 die as a result of underage drinking every year, and 1,900 of those deaths are the result of traffic crashes.
- One in 10 teens report drinking and driving themselves.
About AAA
TeenDriving.AAA.com has a variety of tools, including licensing and state law information, to help prepare parents and teens for not only the dangerous summer driving season, but also all year long. The site also features new interactive widgets highlighting teen driving risks, as well as a social host quiz. The online AAA StartSmart program also offers great resources for parents on how to become effective in-car coaches as well as advice on how to manage their teen’s overall driving privileges.
Strengthening teen driving laws to increase roadway safety is a top priority for AAA. The Association’s advocacy efforts are helping to protect teens by working to pass graduated driver licensing laws, including seat belt requirements, wireless device bans and nighttime driving and passenger restrictions, in states across the country.
About AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety: Established in 1947 by AAA, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety is a not-for-profit, publicly funded, 501(c)(3) charitable research and educational organization. The AAA Foundation’s mission is to prevent traffic deaths and injuries by conducting research into their causes and by educating the public about strategies to prevent crashes and reduce injuries when they do occur. This research is used to develop educational materials for drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists and other road users. Visit www.AAAFoundation.org.
About AAA: As North America’s largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides more than 59 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. Motorists can map a route, identify gas prices, find discounts, book a hotel and access AAA roadside assistance with the AAA Mobile app for iPhone, iPad and Android. Learn more at AAA.com/mobile. AAA Texas branch offices throughout the state can be found by visitingwww.AAA.com. Follow AAA Texas on Twitter: @AAATexas and Facebook:www.facebook.com/AAATexas.Find additional news from AAA Texas in our online newsroom athttp://tx-aaa.iprsoftware.com/.