On Friday, April 21, students from the Wayne County Technology Center performed a “mock wreck” simulation at Collinwood High School. The purpose of this realistic presentation was to make students aware of the dangers of drinking and driving. Several CHS students participated in the simulation, and it was a very eye-opening experience for the entire student body. Also involved in the simulation were real first responders, and the Air Evac helicopter even made an appearance.
It has become a tradition for Wayne County schools to hold these “mock wreck” presentations near the end of the school year, a time when proms and graduations are going on, and drinking and driving becomes a more tempting thing for young people to do. These presentations do indeed make young people more aware of the possible consequences of drinking and driving, or driving while impaired in any way – whether it be alcohol, drugs, or even cell phones.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, motor vehicle accidents are the number one killer of teens. That’s more deaths than from alcohol, drugs, and suicides combined.
Facts parents should know about teen driving:
- One out of every five 16-year-olds will be involved in a motor vehicle crash.
- Every year, more than 300,000 teen passengers and drivers, ages 16 – 20, are injured and nearly 6,000 die as a result of vehicle crashes.
- Thirty-six percent of all teen driving deaths are alcohol-related.
- Teens are less likely than other drivers to wear seat belts.
Studies have shown that a teen’s chances of being in a crash can be reduced by one-third when parents take an active role in their child’s driving education and set certain driving guidelines. When parents help reduce teens’ chances of being in a crash, they are also helping to protect their teens’ lives.
More statistics you should know:
- Fifty-three percent of teen driver deaths occur on weekends.
- Teen drivers killed in motor vehicle accidents had a youth passenger in the automobile 45 percent of the time. • For teen drivers fatally injured in automobile accidents, more than one-third of the accidents were speed-related.
- The teen driver lifestyle of staying up late puts teen drivers at high risk for automobile accidents due to drowsiness.
- Teens are more likely than any other age group to be involved in a single-vehicle crash.
- Male teen drivers were less likely to tailgate or exceed the speed limit when a teenage female was in the front passenger seat.
- Female teen drivers were slightly more likely to tailgate if a female teen passenger was in the vehicle with them.
There are plenty of resources available online for parents and teens to find out more about operating motor vehicles safely:
– Drive Home Safe: http://www.drivehomesafe.com
– National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/
– National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD): http://www.nichd.nih.gov/
– Road Ready (For Parent and Teens): http://www.roadreadyteens.org
– Teen Driving: http://www.teendrivinginfo.com/
– Tennessee Department of Safety: http://www.state.tn.us/safety
