Teen driving related deaths drop by 54.5 percent in Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Teen Safe Driving Coalition targets No.1 killer of teens-car crashes

HARRISBURG — Fatal car crashes among 15-to-17 year olds in Pennsylvania have dropped 54.5 percent since the Pennsylvania Teen Safe Driving Coalition was established in 2011. Pennsylvania is one of 10 coalition states to experience a drop in fatal teen car crashes. Deaths in states without coalitions declined just 19.5 percent collectively.

The coalitions, established by the National Safety Council and supported by The Allstate Foundation, are comprised of traffic safety professionals, parents, legislators, business leaders and representatives from the nonprofit sector who are dedicated to reducing the number of teen driving related crashes in their state.

"The Coalition has been integral to changing the culture of teen driving across our state," said Felicity DeBacco-Erni, leader of the Pennsylvania Teen Safe Driving Coalition. "We are encouraged by the significant reductions in deaths and injuries, but we know our work is far from over. We need to more than just reduce teen driving deaths; we need to eliminate them."

The coalitions collectively have reached more than 1.6 million people through rallies, school programs, speaking engagements and other events

Some of the programs include:
Ticket Your Parent: Middle school focused program designed to get students thinking about driving behaviors years before they even begin to drive.

Safe Driving Guide For Teens and Parents: Interactive folders for pediatricians to provide to parents and teens at the time of the permit physical.

Teen Safe Driving Mini-Grants to School Based Youth Organizations: Peer-to-peer program that can be implemented in schools.

GDL Game Plan: Guide designed for coaches to emphasize the importance of Graduated Driver Licensing, especially with teens before they drive home after practice.

Since 2010, The Allstate Foundation has supported NSC with more than $4.2 million in funding for coalition efforts and parent education initiatives. This year, The Allstate Foundation provided the Pennsylvania Teen Safe Driving Coalition with an additional $17,500 to engage with parents through high school sporting events and bring "What do you consider lethal?" presentations to schools across the state.

Visit http://teensafedriving.org/pa for more information.