In the Driver’s Seat: Austin Working to Encourage Safe Driving Habits

 

National Teen Driver Safety Week is October 16-22

The City of Austin is teaming up with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to empower parents to discuss safe driving habits with their young drivers. National Teen Driver Safety Week is October 16-22, making it the perfect opportunity to talk with teens about safe driving habits. In Austin, approximately 970 crashes involved a teenage driver in 2020. Of those, over 50 crashes resulted in serious injuries or death. Across the United States, motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death for teens (15-18 years old). Here are the national stats: 2,276 people were killed in crashes involving a teen passenger vehicle driver (15-18 years old) in 2020. 748 of the deaths were the teen driver. In 2020, an estimated 90,564 teen passenger vehicle drivers were injured in motor vehicle traffic crashes and an estimated 153,566 people were injured in crashes involving a teen driver, accounting for almost 7% of all roadway injuries that year. 11 teens are killed daily in car crashes. Half of the teens killed in crashes were not buckled.  “National Teen Driver Safety Week is an opportunity for us to educate families on what teens need to do to become less distracted drivers," said Heidi Holmes, Associate Case Manager for Austin Municipal Court. "I believe our efforts can save lives even with the small tips and information we provide to them. As a mother of an aspiring teen driver, I think it is important that parents take away that it is ok to say no to your kids. It is our job to educate them, tell them to focus, turn the music down, and model that behavior. It could save your kids life or your own.” Austin's Municipal Court (AMC) invites the public to join them at HopeFest on Saturday, Oct 22 from 9:30am - 3pm at Northeast Early College High School, 7104 Berkman Drive, Austin, TX 78752. AMC will have valuable information on teen driving safety and can answer questions on how your teen can get their first driver's license. For more information on the festival, call 512-653-4935 or e-mail hopefest@austinvoices.org.  Check out the Texas Department of Public Safety site for information on teenager licenses. The Austin Municipal Court Youth Services office is also available at 512-974-4659 to help with questions. For more information about National Teen Driver Safety, visit www.nhtsa.gov/road-safety/teen-driving.