Articles Posted in Injuries to Minors & Children

A nationwide contest is challenging teenagers to create a public service announcement warning of the risk of distracted driving car accidents in Chicago and elsewhere.

Our Chicago personal injury lawyers frequently report on the dangers teens face behind the wheel. Car accidents are the leading cause of death among teens ages 15 to 20, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration The Business Journals reports the contest is being sponsored by the National Road Safety Foundation and the National Student Safety Program. The winner will have his or her message played nationwide during National Youth Traffic Safety Month in May, will receive a $1,000 scholarship and will win a trip to Honolulu for the national youth conference in July.

The U.S. Department of Transportation reports more than 5,000 teenagers are killed in car accidents each year.

“A quarter of all teens admit to texting behind the wheel and, in 2009, the highest proportion of distracted drivers in fatal crashes was under the age of 20,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “We know we have to engage teens in order to put an end to distracted driving. With their help, we can educate teens and adults about making smarter choices that will save lives.”

The “JST DRV” Radio PSA contest seeks 15- or 30-second entries form teens ages 14 to 18. Three runners-up will also receive $500 scholarships and Bluetooth devices.

The contest “hopes to engage young people in communicating important messages about distracted driving in their own voice,” said Michelle Anderson, operations director of the National Road Safety Foundation.

Deadline for entry is March 25, 2011. More information is available at www.nrsf.org or www.adtsea.org/nssp.
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The National Safety Council is partnering with the Allstate Foundation to form a safe teen driving coalition in Illinois and nine other states in an effort to reduce the risk of car accidents in Chicago and elsewhere.

Our Chicago accident lawyers frequently report on the high risks faced by teen drivers on the road and we urge you to speak to your teenager about the importance of safe driving habits as we enter the start of the winter driving season and the holiday travel season.The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that car accidents are the leading cause of death among teenagers ages 15 to 20. In 2008, a total of 5,864 teens in that age group were involved in fatal crashes. In Illinois, 164 people were killed in accidents involving teenagers, including 80 young drivers. Teens are at high risk for virtually every poor driving habit, including cell phone use and text messaging, distracted driving, speeding, failure to wear their seat belts, drunk driving and riding with too many young passengers in the vehicle.

“While our roads have never been safer, car crashes remain the No. 1 killer of all people from 1 to 34 years old, with teens crashing four times more often than any other age group. We must act now to create new social norms behind the wheel starting first with our youngest drivers,” said Joan H. Walker, senior vice president, Allstate Insurance Co. “With its long legacy of building safety coalitions, NSC is the ideal organization to lead new state efforts to change the teen driving culture.”

Coalitions are also being established in California, Florida, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas. Participants will include law enforcement, public health officials, members of the media, teen and parent leaders and the family and friends of crash victims. The goal will be to identify and implement ways to change teen driving behaviors and attitudes.

Formation of the coalitions comes in the wake of the NSC’s first Forum to Keep Teen Driver’s Alive, which was held last month in Chicago.

“Funding from The Allstate Foundation allows NSC to develop a coordinated strategy for building effective state coalitions,” said Janet Froetscher, NSC president and CEO. “The coalitions will mobilize state leaders to find unique solutions to the teen driving issue and save young lives for generations to come.”
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Officials in Indiana are trying to make sense of a study that found that teens who take driver’s education classes are four time more likely to be involved in a crash than those who forgo the training.

The report by the Chicago Breaking News Center comes as officials nationwide continue the effort to reduce the number of serious and fatal car accidents involving teen drivers. As we reported on our Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, a teen challenge is running through mid-September, which encourages young drivers to submit public service announcements about the dangers of texting and driving.Safety advocates point to Illinois’ Graduated Driver Licensing System, considered by some to be one of the nation’s best young-driver programs, for the reduction in Chicago car accidents involving teenagers.

“I am pleased and encouraged that the number of teen crash fatalities continues to drop since my Teen Driver Safety Task Force issued recommendations that led to the strengthening of Illinois’ graduated driver licensing (GDL) program,” said Secretary of State Jesse White. “Since the stronger GDL program took effect in 2008, teen driving deaths have dropped by over 50 percent.”

Still, 164 motorists were killed in Illinois car accidents involving young drivers in 2008, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Nationwide, 5,864 young drivers were involved in fatal crashes and more than 228,000 motorists were injured in accidents involving young drivers.

The Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette reported that the study looked at 122,924 young drivers in Indiana, more than half of whom did not take driver’s education. Nearly five percent of driver’s ed students were involved in an accident, compared to 1 percent of students without formal driver training. Officials caution that some of the discrepancy might be because teens who take driver’s ed are allowed to get their permits at a younger age and hold a permit for at least six months longer.

Still, the Associated Press reported it might be time to overhaul the driver education system in that state, which has not been updated in three decades.
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Two new laws were passed recently to keep Chicago and Illinois residents safer when involved in auto accidents, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Governor Patrick Quinn signed legislation to raise fines for improperly securing children eight years and younger in Illinois from $50 to $75. Drivers cited for repeated offenses will now be fined $200.

The Governor’s office states this measure is to promote education among Illinois drivers. To support this point, drivers receiving an initial citation can waive the $75 fee by taking a course on the proper use and installation of child safety seats.