The images above show the contrast between the smiling faces of our youth and the destructive forces of a crash. It's a sobering reminder of what we hold dear and how easily it can be taken away.
What is even more sobering is that there were over 8500 teen crashes in Nebraska last year alone (ages 16-19, year 2008; NDOR) which resulted in injuries, millions of dollars in damages and loss of life. Crashes can be avoided as they are so often the result of inexperience behind the wheel, taking your eyes off the road and not following basic road and safety rules.
Our goal is to educate youth and adults about the number one killer of teens (ages 15-20) in the US, and how distracted driving can be one of the most influential contributors to this statistic. We have several programs that we offer to schools and parent groups to help bring more awareness to distracted driving and ways to become safer one the road.
With your help we hope to drastically reduce teen fatalities in Nebraska and beyond. Please take a moment to read some of the materials posted here.
If you are a teen: Consider that your risk is higher than any other age group, up to age 20, of being in a fatal crash. That means more than any other time in you life you are in danger of losing goals, dreams and even causing the loss of life and potentially changing the course of your life forever.
If you are a parent: Consider that your teen needs to be taught over a period of years to be a safe and responsible driver. It cannot be learned in a class room and they must have a good example to learn from as well as positive reinforcement in order to be successful. Also consider that as their guardians, you will be impacted by their driving choices as well.
If you are an educator or safety consultant: Consider having the C.A.R. Alliance come to your school or address teens and parents about the real consequences of distracted driving and the impact that it has. Click here to contact us.
Did you know?....
- On average one teen will be taken to the hospital for treatment due to injuries sustained in a car crash every 2 hours; one will die every 4 hours.
- More teens die every year in crashes than Coalition forces have died in the Iraq War from 2003 - 2008.
- More teens die in crashes each year than do from all cancers combined.
- 16-year old drivers are more likely to be involved in a car crash than any other aged driver- and especially in the first 500 miles of driving without a parent.
- With a Provisional Operator's Permit (POP) you are not allowed to have more than one passenger under the age of 19, you cannot operate a cell phone and you cannot drive between Midnight and 6am. This stays in effect for the first 6mos of possessing your license.
- For each non-adult passenger in the vehicle with you, the likelihood of your being in a fatal crashes goes up exponentially.
- Teens are more likely to speed and drive too fast for the road conditions than any other age group.
- Teen crashes are highly preventable if serious steps are taken by parents and teens to promote safe driving habits in the beginning stages of learning and throughout their lives.
- Avoiding distractions, driving safely and persistent teaching and reinforcement of good driving behavior/habits are the keys to helping reduce the number of fatalities in this age group (15-20).
Please help up by making a donation to the C.A.R. Alliance to help fund materials that will help educate parents and kids about the very real dangers that exist for teens while driving.
Do you have a C.A.R. Keepsake?
We offer a variety of keepsakes including T-shirts, window clings and other items to remind you about the need to drive non-distracted and safely. You can order these by selecting "CAR Keepsakes" in the menu to the left.
Show your support for safer teen driving and let it remind you to reduce interior distractions and to follow traffic laws each time you get into your vehicle! (Proceeds from keepsakes help fund C.A.R. Alliance initiatives and activities).
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