1. STOPPING THE #1 KILLER OF TEENS IN AMERICA
Teens in the Driver Seat is a peer-to-peer program that focuses on the number one killer of teens in America – car crashes.
[INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND TEAM MEMBERS]
Today, we are going to cover the top 5 risks we face behind the wheel and what we want to do to prevent these risks in our school and community.

2. TOO MANY TEENS ARE DYING
Motor vehicle crashes are the #1 killer of teens in America
About 2,800 teens per year are killed in traffic crashes in the U.S. and nearly 300,000 are injured
(Source: NHTSA, FARS data)
This is why we are here. Car crashes are the number 1 cause of death of teens – us - in America. Many of these deaths are preventable with some knowledge and precautions.
[HERE YOU CAN DEDICATE THE PRESENTATION TO LOST FRIENDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS. YOU CAN ALSO ASK STUDENTS TO CALL OUT NAMES OF LOVED ONES WHO HAVE BEEN INJURED OR KILLED IN A CAR CRASH.]

3. It’s like school bus full of teens
crashing every week.
Think about how many lives that is. 3500! With this many teens dying each year, it’s like loading a 737 with teens and crashing it to the ground every other week.

4. THE HIGHEST RISKS
Driver inexperience, coupled with the following situations / conditions:
Driving at night / tired
Speeding and street racing
Distractions, such as cell phones and other teen passengers
Low seat belt use
Driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs
(Source: National Safety Council, 2007)
The top risks we face behind the wheel include some we know the least about. They are: nighttime driving / drowsy driving; speeding; distractions while driving; not wearing a seat belt; and driving under the influence. We’re going to talk about each of these and ways we can help each other stay safe.

5. DRIVING AT NIGHT
58% of teen crash deaths occur between 6pm and 6am (Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
Driving visibility is significantly reduced at night
Teens need 9.25 hours per sleep, yet get an average 7.4 hours per night (Source: National Sleep Foundation, 2006 study)
Think about it – we’re all pretty new drivers, or will be, and driving at night is a lot different than during the day.
There is the problem of poor visibility, the glare from oncoming traffic and it is more difficult to judge other vehicle’s speeds and distances at night.
If you add other factors, like drowsiness or distractions or going too fast, you are creating a perfect storm and your risks keep rising.
What can we do about this?
#1 – obey your graduated drivers license laws and don’t drive when you’re not supposed to. This is for your own protection!
- Always wear your seat belt.
- Keep distractions away and concentrate on the road.
- Turn headlights on at dusk, keep your headlights and windshield clean and have your headlights properly aimed.
- Reduce your speed and increase your following distances. Don’t overdrive your headlights. You should be able to stop inside the illuminated area.
- If an oncoming vehicle’s lights are too high, avoid glare by watching the right edge of the road and using it as a steering guide.
Now, let’s talk about SLEEP!

6. DROWSY DRIVING
More than half of all fall-asleep crashes involve young drivers (Source: National Sleep Foundation, Drowsy Driving Prevention Week, 2007)
55% of drowsy driving crashes are caused by drivers less than 25 years old (Source: National Sleep Foundation)
Being awake for 18 hours is similar to being legally drunk (Source: National Sleep Foundation, 2006 Study)
[TAKE A POLL] Ask students to raise their hand if they get 9½ hours of sleep at night.
Think of your sleep like a bank account. If you get 7.5 hours of sleep a night, by the weekend, when you’re ready to go out at night, you have a deficit of 8.75 hours. So, when you’re out late on Friday or Saturday night, you’re exhausted, whether you realize it or not.
Now, think about this: being awake for 18 hours is equal to being (mentally) legally drunk and leaves you at equal risk for a crash. That means your reaction time is slower, your judgment is impaired and your awareness has decreased – 3 factors that you need while driving. Just like alcohol, sleepiness can be fatal when driving.
Sleep is important for teen drivers because we fall asleep behind the wheel more easily, so here are some tips:
Don’t drive when you’re normally sleeping.
Make sure you’re well rested before you’re driving late at night or take a long road trip.
Get some help. If you’re too tired, call a parent or someone who can help you out.
Take a break if you’re driving a long distance. Get something cold to drink, run around your car or even take a nap if you’re in a safe place.
Take a friend to help you stay awake or share driving.

7. DISTRIBUTION OF DRIVER “FALL ASLEEP” CRASHES BY AGE
As you can see we are in the age group that is most likely to crash after falling asleep. This will continue to be a top risk until we’re in our 20s.
NCHRP Report 500, Volume 19, 2007: A Guide for Reducing Collisions Involving Young Drivers

8. SPEEDING
About 33% of teen driver and passenger deaths occur in speed-related crashes (Source: NHTSA, FARS)
When there are teen passengers, teen drivers tend to drive faster (Source: GHSA)
Teens are more likely to speed after they have been drinking (Source: NHTSA, Traffic Safety Facts, Speeding, 2009 Data)
We are more likely than older drivers to speed and allow shorter headways (tailgate) and, again, along with inexperience, there is more of a chance of a crash.
Also, when there we have teen passengers in the car with us, we tend to drive faster.
Here’s the deal with speeding. We demand light, fuel-efficient cars, so cars are not built to withstand high speed crashes. Also, as crash speeds get very high, restraint systems such as airbags and seat belts cannot keep the forces on occupants below severe injury levels. Which means the chances of you getting hurt increases with each mph increase.
If you double your speed – say from 30 mph to 60 mph – your braking distance does not become twice as long, it becomes four times as far. Traveling at 55 mph, it will take about 6 seconds to stop your vehicle. The vehicle will travel approximately 302 feet before coming to a stop. That is longer than the length of a football field.
What can we do about it?
-Know with every mile per hour increase you also increase your reaction travel time, braking distance and crash energy.
-Know that when you speed, you also decrease the judgment of other drivers to be able to gauge your distance and speed.
-Understand speed limits are set with safety in mind. They are based on roadside environment, roadway design and pedestrian traffic.
-Speeding to keep up with the flow of traffic is not legal and you can still be ticketed.
-You should always be able to stop within the distance you can see ahead.
-It is easier to lose traction when speeding around a curve and the high center of gravity makes it easier to roll over. Slow down before curves.

9. THREE MAIN TYPES OF DISTRACTIONS
Visual — taking your eyes off the road
Manual — taking your hands off the wheel
Cognitive — taking your mind off what you’re doing
Distractions has become a major problem with us. We know we shouldn’t do it, but we still do. If we have our eyes off the road, at least one hand off the wheel, and our mind on something else, then WHO is driving? Not the person on the phone or looking in the mirror or eating the hamburger. No one is driving!

10. DEADLY DISTRACTIONS
Chances of a fatal crash increases with each teen passenger (Source: NHTSA)
Half of teens that die as passengers were in vehicles driven by other teens (Source: IIHS)
Photo by Aaron Dieppa
Before texting or other distractions, let’s talk about our friends. We all have them, right? The ones that get in the car and it’s a party? The music goes up, we start talking and laughing and then we’re having to brake hard because, all of a sudden, there’s a stop sign you didn’t see. I’m sorry to tell you this – but our friends are dangerous! Take a look at this graph…

11. IMPACT OF TEEN PASSENGERS ON TEEN DRIVERS
The more friends we have in the car, the more likely we are to crash. And, remember what the last slide said: 2 out of 3 teens that died as passengers were in vehicles driven by other teens. WOW!
-Remember the law – if you’re a new driver, there are passenger limits.
-Be a good friend by being a good passenger. Buckle up and help the driver by watching out for dangers.
-Insist everyone in your car respects your car. Get to where you are going – safely – so then you can have fun.
-Don’t be afraid to speak up if someone is bothering you while you drive. It’s your car, so it’s your rules.

12. CELL PHONE USE & TEXTING
Drivers talking on a cell are 4 times more likely to be in a crash (Source: New England Journal of Medicine)
Teens engage in complex, non-driving tasks more frequently than adults (Source: VTTI)
Texting is the new DWI - “intexticated”
We’re used to doing many things at once, right? We multi-task to the extreme so we think we’re good at it, but when we’re driving is the WRONG time to multi-task.
Can you believe, crash odds go up to 23.2 times for someone who is texting. It takes your eyes off the road, your hand off the wheel, and your cognitive attention away from what you are doing. When our mind is on other tasks, we suffer what’s called inattentive blindness. We’re going through the motions of driving, but we’re not really paying attention to the road. It’s like daydreaming, except our eyes and hands are somewhere else, too.
This is not just a teen issues. Adults are doing it too. So, again, don’t be afraid to speak up! If you’re in the car, you have a right to say something.
[SHOW SOME VIDEOS HERE - THERE ARE LOTS ON T-DRIVER.COM OR ON YOUTUBE]
[ASK THE AUDIENCE] What can we do about texting or talking on the phone while driving?
-Use a designated texter – pass the phone off
-Don’t text someone if you know they are driving
-Lock it in the trunk
-Turn it off
-Put it on silent and out of sight
-Download an app that automatically texts back or answers and tells someone you’re driving

13. SAFETY BELT USE
Three out of five teens involved in fatal crashes were not wearing a seat belt (Source: IIHS)
Teens wear their safety belts less than other drivers (Source: NHTSA)
Seat belts, when used properly, save lives (Source: NHTSA)
A seat belt is your best and last protection if you are in an accident.
During a crash, being buckled up helps keep you safe and secure inside your vehicle. Being thrown out of a vehicle is almost always deadly.
Air bags are designed to work with seat belts, not replace them. In fact, if you don’t wear your seat belt, you could be thrown into an opening airbag and be injured or even killed.
A seat belt has to be worn correctly to be effective – across the center of your chest, away from your neck, and across your hips, below your stomach. If you like to lay the seat back you can slide out from under it. If you put the chest strap behind you, you can still be thrown forward.
Get in the habit of always putting your seat belt on every time you get into a vehicle. No matter where you are sitting or the distance you are going.
Ask your passengers to buckle up also. You are responsible for their safety.

14. DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE
An estimated 1 in 10 teens in high school admit to drinking and driving (Source: CDC)
Drivers are less likely to use restraints and more likely to speed when they have been drinking
Drivers 16 – 20 are 17x more likely to die in a crash when they have a BAC of .08% compared to when they have not been drinking (Source: CDC)
Alcohol has a profound effect on driving skills. Because of its depressant effects, drivers can misjudge their capabilities. Some of the effects of alcohol that affect driving include:
reaction time – slow reflexes can decrease the ability to react swiftly to situations
vision – eye muscles function more slowly. Eye movement and perception are altered, possibly resulting in blurred vision. Night vision and color perception are also impaired.
tracking – the ability to judge the car’s position on the road, the location of other vehicles, center line, road signs, etc., can be adversely affected.
concentration – attention to driving may decrease and/or drowsiness may occur
comprehension – the depressant effect of alcohol hinders the ability to make rational decisions
coordination – the mechanics of driving can be affected by reduced eye/hand/foot coordination
If alcohol is used in conjunction with other drugs (legal or illegal), the effects of both substances can be increased–a potentially deadly situation.
Here are some things to know:
-Food, coffee or exercise will not reduce the amount of alcohol in your system. Only time decreases the effects of alcohol.
-Don’t believe you can “fool” a police officer. They are trained to look for tale-tell signs of a driver who is under the influence.
-Zero tolerance law makes it illegal per se (in and of itself) for persons under the age of 21 to drive with ANY measurable amount of alcohol in their blood
-Violators of underage drinking laws often face a trip to jail, the loss of their driver’s license, and dozens of other unanticipated expenses including attorney fees, court costs, and other fines -A DUI conviction follows a teen, so there is the added embarrassment, humiliation, and potential loss and consequence related to academic eligibility, college acceptance, scholarship awards, and more
-Most of those killed in alcohol-related crashes involving teen drivers are the young drivers themselves and their passengers -Increased efforts by local law enforcement make the chances of getting caught even greater
[ASK THE AUDIENCE ]What are some ways we can prevent drinking and driving?
-If you make the decision to drink, make your plans so you don’t drive.
-If you get in the situation where you have been drinking, ride with a sober friend, ask someone else to drive or call a parent or older sibling.
-If a friend has been drinking and is about to drive, speak up. Offer to drive, take the keys or call a parent. An angry friend is better than a dead friend.
-Never get in the car with a driver who has been drinking. Everyone reacts to alcohol differently. If you know a friend has been drinking, assume they are unable to drive.

15. LOOK UP AND ADD YOUR STATE’S GDL LAWS…

16. SAFE DRIVING PLEDGE
I make this pledge both bold and brave, so someone’s life I will help to save. Watch my speed, stay awake and know the difference a drink can make. Buckle up and avoid distractions – like texting, cell phones – such deadly actions. Golden rules, simply five. Strive to keep our drive alive.
We’re all in this together and we want to challenge each of you to make this a priority and speak up when you see someone driving recklessly. We need to care about each other and change these trends. Whether you know you need to drive safer or you know someone who does, please keep talking about these dangers and let’s take care of each other. Be a friend by keeping our drive alive.
[HERE YOU CAN HAVE EVERYONE READ THE PLEDGE ALOUD THEN TALK ABOUT SOME ACTIVITIES YOU HAVE PLANNED. YOU CAN ALSO HAVE THE PLEDGE AVAILABLE TO SIGN.]

17. STOPPING THE #1 KILLER OF TEENS IN AMERICA
The good news is we are not curing cancer. We know what the cure to this epidemic is and it’s here – it’s you and I. We want to make this our focus. We don’t want to see our friends be hurt or worse, die, behind the wheel. Together, we can make sure we change our bad habits or never learn them.
Thank you to [NAME SPONSORS, PRINCIPAL, SUPPORTERS, ETC.] for helping us make this a priority. And, thank you and please be safe.