Advocate for Change

We are on a mission to keep teens safe in cars. This mission needs community leaders and policymakers, as well as teens, parents, teachers, coaches, principals, and others. Just as it takes a village to raise a child, it requires a fully realized grassroots effort to motivate change to keep teens safe on the roads. You can make change happen, one community at a time.

• Advocate for a Better GDL for Your State.  It’s hard to get a law passed on your own. Here are actions you can take to help improve the laws in your state:
  --Learn more about the current laws in your state to keep teen drivers safe here. 
  -- Check the Internet for any pending legislation in your state or on Capitol Hill. See if the bill or bills align with recommended Minimum GDL Provisions.
  -- Contact the bill sponsor’s office to check on the status of the bill. Ask how you can specifically help.
  -- Reach out to other organizations that typically have a stake in protecting teen drivers, such as injury prevention organizations, insurance companies, AAA, your state’s Highway Safety office, etc. to see if you can partner to support the bill and to better understand the legislative environment concerning this type of legislation
  -- Develop a clear message point you would like to share from what you have learned from this site. Use this message  point to call or write your legislator, being very clear about the particular piece of legislation you support and why. State legislators really appreciate hearing from their constituents.

• Support National Teen Driver Safety Week (NTDSW) -- October 20-26, 2013. This federally-mandated week is designed to increase awareness of teen driver safety in communities across the nation. The theme for 2012 was 'Share, Not Scare.' Although popular, research shows graphic reenactments of car crashes and other scared straight tactics do not change behavior over the long haul. Instead, we encouraged teens, parents, and educators to take a different tack by messaging to motivate.  For more information, download Community Action: Support National Teen Driver Safety Week.
• Support Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020. Learn more about this international initiative to increase road safety awareness and promote change sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO).