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Sun, 9 Jun 2002 11:46:34 +0100

Well done. 
I have been running a young driver education programme locally for the past
2 years which is modelled on a similar programme I saw being run in
Hamilton, Ontario called CHAT. Very similar messages and worth repeating a
million times so that one life may be saved, maybe..
Aruni Sen
MS FRCS FFAEM
Consultant in Emergency Medicine
Maelor Hospital; North East Wales NHS Trust
Wrexham LL13 7TD, UK.
Tel 01978 725555 / 725498 (secy)
Fax 01978 725168
Mobile 07931 542759 ; Pager 07625 618656
Email : aruni.sen@new-tr.wales.nhs.uk

	-----Original Message-----
	From:	Gary Direnfeld [SMTP:gary123@sympatico.ca]
	Sent:	Thursday, May 30, 2002 12:33 PM
	To:	trauma-list@trauma.org
	Subject:	Article attached and in the body of this email...

	With teen driver car crashes as the leading cause of permanent
injury and death in teens and with summer having the highest frequency of
teen car crashes, we would appreciate if you would post the following
article on your websites and distribute it to your contacts.

	_______________________________

	Prepare Teens for Summer Driving 

	More people will die in a car crash in the summertime than in any
other season. (See table 23 -
http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-30/NCSA/TSFAnn/TSF2000.pdf )

	In fact, according to the Center for Disease Control, 1999
statistics, teen car crashes accounted for a whopping 76% of all teen deaths
caused by unintentional injuries (teens ages 16 - 20). Further, of all
causes of death combined, teen car crashes account for a full 41% whereas
homicide the second leading cause of death accounts for 18% of teen
mortality. http://webapp.cdc.gov/sasweb/ncipc/leadcaus10.html 

	Parents of teen drivers are encouraged to discuss driving behavior
with their son or daughter by addressing these four myths:

	Myth: 	        It is safer to drive during the night when there is
less traffic.
	Truth: 	        More teen drivers die in car crashes between 1:00 am
and 5:00 am than any other time of day.
	Recommendation: Parents should restrict late night driving and opt
to act as chauffeur. 
	Better to pick your teen up at a dance than at the hospital or
morgue.

	Myth: 	        Teens are safer with more passengers in the car to
help watch traffic.
	Truth: 	        The more teen passengers in the car the greater the
likelihood of a crash. Teens tend to turn up the music and carry on more
boisterously with other teens in the car, causing serious driver
distraction.
	Recommendation: Parents should limit the number of teen passengers
allowed to travel in the 
	vehicle with a teen driver and the number of passengers must never
exceed the number of working seat belts.

	Myth: 	        Alcohol is the leading cause of teen driver related
car crashes.
	Truth: 	        Speeding is the number one cause of teen driver car
crashes.
	Recommendation: Parents should caution their teens against speeding
and while teens like to see
	how fast they can go, parents should make sure the brakes are in
good mechanical order.

	Myth: 	        Parent-youth safe driving contracts don't work.
	Truth: 	        Safe driving contracts encourage communication
between parent and youth so parents can relate clear expectations to teens.
Parents that use comprehensive contracts tend to place greater restrictions
on their teen driver resulting in safer road use.
	Recommendation: Look for and use the most comprehensive parent-youth
safe driving contract
	available and go through it with your teen.

	Parents are encouraged to review the I Promise Program website -
www.ipromiseprogram.com for such a contract. This program combines a
multi-item safe driving contract with a rear window decal that encourages
reports on driver behavior as a means of accountability. Don't worry; the
reports only go back to the family. This program has been developed with
youth, parents, community members, police and other organizations.

	Finally, all parents must remember, safe teen driving starts with
you. Be a good role model of responsible driving behavior and this will
increase the odds that your teen will be a good driver too.

	Gary Direnfeld, MSW, Executive Director
	I Promise Program
	20 Suter Crescent,
	Dundas, Ontario, Canada
	L9H 6R5

	(905) 628-4847
	gary123@sympatico.ca 
	www.ipromiseprogram.com << File: Prepare teens for safe summer
driving.doc >> 

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