Get Behind National Teen Driver Safety Week 

National Teen Driver Safety Week (NTDSW)--October 14-20, 2012--is dedicated to raising awareness and seeking solutions to unnecessary teen deaths on the road. Established by Congress in 2007 and held annually the third week of each October, its goal is to focus the country’s attention on this serious issue. The 2011 theme was supporting parents in teaching their teens to drive. This includes helping you navigate the practice driving phase, as well as driving on your own. Our research shows that teens who say their parents set rules and monitor their driving in a helpful, supportive way are half as likely to crash and twice as likely to buckle up as teens with less involved parents. The evidence also reveals that the majority of teens (87 percent) have a parent involved in the learning-to-drive process.

We all want parents to be as prepared as possible to take on the important task of teaching you, your friends, and classmates to safely navigate the first years of driving. Talk to your parents about logging at least 50 hours of supervised behind-the-wheel practice to develop  skills in a variety of situations. Know the Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) laws for your state, and work with your parents to understand and follow them.

NTDSW is a great time to help parents become more effective driving teachers and coaches. Get creative with events at your school or in your community. Consider using the free resources on this site to support your efforts. Add a NTDSW message on your school's website or send home some handouts to parents. Enlist the help of your school's administration and student club advisors for ideas on spreading the word. Also check out Ride Like A Friend. Drive Like You Care, a peer-to-peer campaign you conduct at your school.

Need more NTDSW ideas?  Read about what others did and the week's history.