Press Release

“PARENTS HOLD THE KEY TO FEWER
TEEN CRASHES,”
SAYS SAFE AMERICA FOUNDATION

Contest Provides PTA Parents Resources to Make Their Teens Safer Drivers, Kicks-off During National Teen Driver Safety Week

Marietta, GA (Oct. 18, 2011) – National Teen Driver Safety Week, which runs from October 16-22, is dedicated to raising awareness about one of the top killers of teens – traffic crashes.

According to the National Young Driver Survey, teens who said their parents were helpful, supportive, set rules and monitored those rules were safest in the car. These teens were also half as likely to speed or have had a crash in the last year, 70 percent less likely to drive while intoxicated, and twice as likely to use their seat belt.

The theme of 2011’s National Teen Driver Safety Week is supporting parents in teaching their teens to drive.  To emphasize this focus the Safe America Foundation and Georgia Parent Teacher Association (PTA), supported by a grant from the Allstate Foundation, will be holding the Parents Educating Parents (PEP) contest for metro-Atlanta PTA groups. The PEP contest will award a cash prize to the PTA group that has the most members participate in an educational meeting focused on teen driving.

“Parents hold the keys to fewer teen crashes,” said Safe America Foundation President and CEO Len Pagano. “Georgia’s Graduated Driver Licensing law has saved lives, but as National Young Driver Survey shows parents also have a huge impact on making teens safer drivers.”

The PEP program provides parents a forum to come together and educate each other about common teen driving issues and Georgia teen driving laws.  Program leaders utilize a Safe America Foundation training guide to provide tips and resources to make parents more confident training their teen behind-the-wheel.

“By opening up dialog on this topic and allowing these parents to share experience and knowledge, we are empowering them to be more involved in the learning-to-drive process,” said Georgia PTA President Donna Kosicki.

“Allstate is proud to support Safe America’s the Parents Educating Parents program,”   said John Heid, spokesperson for The Allstate Foundation. “During a recent teen driving poll, the Allstate Foundation discovered that almost 90% of the teens surveyed said their parents were the biggest influencers on their driving habits. When parents are engaged, set rules and monitor their teen’s driving, crashes and risky behind-the-wheel behaviors are reduced.”

For more information on the PEP contest and to get additional information on how parents can better set driving rules and monitor their teens driving in helpful and productive ways, visit www.safeamericadrivers.org.

About the Safe America Foundation

The Safe America Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit licensed by the state of Georgia. Chartered in 1994, the Marietta, Georgia based foundation partners with corporate, governmental, public and private sector organizations, and other nonprofits to improve the safety awareness and preparedness of Americans nationwide. Among other projects, SAF operates several driver training centers in metro-Atlanta with the aim of raising awareness and attaining higher standards of traffic safety.

For more information please contact Matthew Thome, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ), via cell 847.431.7825.

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