City of Dallas Judiciary and AAA Host Teen Driver Safety Webinar This Saturday to Save Lives

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 Judiciary will host a free virtual event to educate teens and parents about traffic safety as many students are heading back to school and will be driving for the first time. This virtual event will include guest speakers, traffic safety experts and resources to help pre-permit teens, beginning drivers and their families navigate through the difficult learning-to-drive process and beyond. This virtual event will take place on Saturday, August 7, 2021 from 10:00 A.M. to 11:30 A.M. To register, parents can visit AAA.com/Safety4Teens.

During the virtual event, AAA Texas will also feature its latest Public Service Announcements (PSAs) just before the start of the 2021-2022 school year to remind all drivers to focus on the road and never on smartphones when behind the wheel. The two new PSAs are similar in that they feature a family of four heading home from a school sporting event and show a mom who is texting behind the wheel. However, one PSA depicts a child speaking up to discourage the mom from using the phone and subsequently avoids a crash. In the other version of the PSA, nobody in the vehicle speaks up and a crash occurs involving school students in a crosswalk. 60 percent of teen crashes involve driver distraction according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

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.

AAA provides more than 62 million members with automotive, travel, insurance and financial services through its federation of independently owned motor clubs and nearly 1,000 branch offices across North America. Since 1902, AAA has been a leader and advocate for the motorist and safe mobility. Drivers can request roadside assistance, identify nearby gas prices, locate discounts, book a hotel or map a route via the AAA Mobile app. AAA Texas branch offices throughout the state can be found by visiting www.AAA.com. Follow AAA Texas on Twitter: @AAATexas and Facebook: www.facebook.com/AAATexas.