May 20: Deadliest Day for Teens on the Road

NORTHBROOK, Ill., May 17 /PRNewswire/ -- May is supposed to be a time of celebration for many teens with prom, graduation and summer looming. Unfortunately, new analysis of crash data from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) shows that May 20 is the deadliest day for teens on the road, claiming 63 percent more young lives than average over the past five years.

Data from IIHS also shows that more than 60 percent of teen passenger deaths occur in vehicles driven by another teen. A recent survey by The Allstate Foundation found that more than 75 percent of teens admit to feeling unsafe with another teen's driving, but only 59 percent are willing to speak up in risky driving situations. Only 53 percent of teen girls report they will say something in dangerous situations on the road versus 66 percent of teen boys.

The Allstate Foundation and the National Organizations for Youth Safety are giving teens a license to speak up through Act Out Loud (AOL), a teen-led, school-based teen driving activism contest. As part of AOL, 20 schools from throughout the country are competing for a $10,000 prize by hosting the most effective safe driving program. The public can have their say about smart driving by voting online for the best activism project until May 21 at www.ActOutLoud.org, and view video posts, blogs and photos from teens tackling the issue in their community.

Raise Your Voice

The Allstate Foundation urges Americans to do their part in making roads safer for all families through the following activities:  

• Participate in the Dialogue - The first 100 people to become a follower at www.Twitter.com/drvngchng and re-tweet a tip on talking to teens about safe driving receives a special set of air fresheners to place inside cars as daily reminders for teens to drive safely.
• X the TXT - Pledge not to text and drive, and help reduce teen deaths and other distracted driving injuries. Join the X the TXT Facebook page at www.facebook.com/thumbsuppledge.
• Educate Your Community – Start the conversation about federal legislation that helps makes our teens safer on the road. Check out your state's GDL laws at www.ProtectTeenDrivers.com.
• Download a Parent Teen Driver Contract – A tool for parents to start the conversation with teens about the importance of safe driving, set guidelines and discuss consequences. Visit www.ProtectTeenDrivers.com to download the contract and find tips on how to talk to teens about safe driving.

Shifting Teen Attitudes

Additional key findings from The Allstate Foundation survey, Shifting Teen Attitudes: A Report on the State of Teen Driving, include:

• Texting is teens' biggest distraction behind the wheel. More than 49 percent of teens report texting as a distraction, up from 31 percent in 2005. About 82 percent of teens report using cell phones while driving.
• Girls report more aggressive driving habits, with 16 percent of girls describing their driving as aggressive, up from 9 percent in 2005.
• Teen driving laws are a powerful force in safe driving. More boys (41 percent) than girls (31 percent) say that their parents enforce teen driving laws.    

About the Shifting Teen Attitudes: The State of Teen Driving Survey

The survey was conducted via online interviews among 1,063 teens nationally by TRU Research. This total sample size yields a margin of error of +/-3% at a 95% confidence level.

About The Allstate Foundation

Established in 1952, The Allstate Foundation is an independent, charitable organization made possible by subsidiaries of The Allstate Corporation. The Allstate Foundation strives to make our communities and our nation a better and safer place to live through partnerships with non-profit organizations promoting "safe and vital communities," "tolerance, inclusion, and diversity" and "economic empowerment." Teen safe driving and building financial independence for domestic violence survivors have been priority issues for the Foundation since 2005. For more information, visit www.ProtectTeenDrivers.com.

SOURCE The Allstate Foundation