Celebrate Responsibly This Holiday Season!

Calendars fill with social engagements this time of year, and traffic swells with distracted drivers running holiday-related errands. Remind students to be extra cautious when they're on the road—no one wants their holiday marred by a car crash, or worse yet, an injury or the loss of life!

Holiday festivities almost always include alcohol, which makes an exceptionally dangerous partner with motor vehicle operation. Stress to your students that, as is repeatedly noted in your lesson plans, the most dangerous and most irresponsible thing they could as a motorist is to drive under the influence of alcohol or other drugs!

The tips below can help drivers to avoid alcohol-related hazards:

If You're Attending a Party

• Designate a driver, who will not consume alcohol (at all!), who will be responsible for driving home the other members of the group.
• If no one in your group wants to assume the responsibility of designated driver, or if you're attending an event on your own and intend to consume alcohol,…
• prearrange a safe ride home from a friend or family member.
• summon a taxi or a ride-sharing service such as Lyft or Uber.
• call 800 . 400 . 4222 at the time you need a ride to take advantage of AAA's Tipsy Tow program, which offers a tow home from your point of pickup (free for up to 7 miles) from 6 p.m. on Dec. 31 to 6 a.m. on Jan. 1.

If You're Hosting a Party

• Provide guests a varied selection of nonalcoholic beverages.
• Help to arrange transportation home for impaired guests, or arrange for them to have a place to stay.
• Give a gift to guests who volunteer to be designated drivers.
• Take the keys away from guests who have had too much drink.

It's never safe to consume alcohol or drugs and operate a motor vehicle, and it's easy to avoid the dangerous consequences. Do your part, and help to keep everyone safe this holiday season. Whatever you do, it's far less expensive than a DUI; and you might just save a life—including your own or that of a love one!

Adult Involvement Can Lower Teen Driver Deaths

Driving Can Be Dangerous

Teen drivers are inexperienced behind the wheel, and they often make dangerous choices because they lack maturity and are prone to taking risks. It's no surprise, then, that traffic crashes are the leading killer of teens in the U.S.

Parents and Other Adults Can Help

Parents (or other adults) can have a significant impact on the safety habits of young drivers. That's the message behind the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) "5 to Drive" campaign intended to raise awareness about the critical role adults play in developing safe teen drivers.

The safety initiative encourages parents to:

• Learn about their state's graduated driver licensing (GDL) program, if there is one, and to understand—and enforce—the restrictions placed on their teen's license. Even in states that don't have an official program, parents can establish important ground rules for their teen driver: Restrict night driving and passengers, prohibit driving while on the phone, and require seat belt use at all times.
• Be a good role model. Parents must remember that their child sees how they drive and is likely to model their behavior. Therefore, it is imperative that parents practice safe-driving techniques themselves! (They might even take a defensive driving course to brush up on their skills.) Parents should also observe and discuss with their children these important "5 to Drive" safety rules:
1. No mobile phone use or texting while driving. Ten percent of those killed in teen-driving crashes in 2012 died when the teen driver was distracted at the time of the crash.
2. No extra passengers. NHTSA data show that a teenage driver is 2.5 times more likely to engage in risky behavior when driving with one teenage passenger, and three times more likely with multiple teenager passengers.
3. No speeding. In 2012, speeding was a factor in almost half (48%) of the crashes that killed 15- to 20-year-old drivers.
4. No alcohol. The minimum legal drinking age in every state is 21. However, 28% of 15- to 20-year-old drivers killed in crashes in 2012 had been drinking.
5. No driving or riding without a seat belt. In 2012, more than half (60%) of all 15- to 20-year-old occupants of passenger vehicles killed in crashes were unrestrained.

Driver Education is Important, But Just the Beginning

Parents should not rely solely on a driver education class to teach their teen to drive. While formal, professional driver education is important—and highly recommended—it should be used as just part of a broader GDL program. Parents are encouraged to communicate with their teen and set aside time to take their teen on practice driving sessions. It can be a great way to spend time together and to allow the teen to improve on basic driving skills.

Parents who are anxious about practicing driving with their teen could pick up a copy of the outstanding parent-teen driving guide, Teach Your Teen to Drive…and stay alive. This fantastic parent-teen guide provides life-saving tips and easy-to-follow, structured exercises to reduce the stress factors associated with the up to 60 hours of supervised driving practice that's required by all 50 states.

(If your stock of books is running low, or to get started with this excellent product, contact our Director of Affiliate Operations, Gloria Verver, for great affiliate pricing (via email or by calling 800 . 252 . 9488). Of course, you can always order via Amazon.com as well.)

Old Enough to Know Better?

Everyone knows by now that it's dangerous to drink and drive. But what if the substance you're intoxicated by is a medication that you need to stay healthy? (For the record, the law doesn't care why drivers are chemically impaired, or how they got that way, only that they are unable to safely operate a motor vehicle.)

Older Americans are driving more, and driving later in life, than in previous generations. In some cases, this is because they are remaining in the work force longer and need to commute to their jobs. In other cases, they're just seeking to maintain mobility and independence as they age. But a new report from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety notes that 90% of older drivers also use prescription medication; and two-thirds of those senior drivers take multiple medications, making them at risk for a synergistic reaction.

A Mature Driver Safety Course from Traffic Safety Consultants, Inc., (TSC) could be just what an older driver needs. Our programs offer all sorts of effective tips to help older drivers stay safe behind the wheel, including a discussion about the effects and interactions of medication. And it's all wrapped in an entertaining and informative package, with colorful charts and illustrations, video clips, and driving-related humor that will have students laughing while they learn. Plus, it's a great way to get an automobile insurance discount (mandated in some states for older drivers who complete a mature driver course)!

TSC's online Mature Driver Safety Courses are available in Florida and now New Jersey, with other states coming soon. To add this beneficial safety program to your product offerings, contact Donna (via email or at 800 . 252 . 9951) regarding the Florida program, or Gloria (via email or at 800 . 252 . 9488) regarding the New Jersey program.

For more great information, also check out: 4 Great Car Features for Older Drivers

Americans Growing Indifferent to Dangerous Driving Behaviors

You've probably read some of the many pieces published recently noting the decline in the number of miles that Americans drive (here's one). While this development is probably a good thing in terms of safety statistics and our environmental health, you might think that it spells the end of traffic school. On the contrary, nothing could be further from the truth! Our primary mission has always been traffic safety education, and a new report from AAA makes it apparent that that's never been more necessary.

An recent analysis of survey data by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that Americans are now less likely to perceive a serious threat from dangerous driving behaviors than they were a few years ago. And while traffic crash fatalities had been on the decline in recent years, the decreased concern is accompanied by an estimated 5.3% increase in annual fatalities—totaling more than 34,000 in 2012.

Some of the dangerous behaviors over which survey respondents' concern has dwindled over the previous four years include:

• The number of people who believe driving after drinking is a serious threat declined from a near universal 90% in 2009 to 69% in 2012.
• The number of people who consider drowsy driving a very serious threat declined from 71% in 2009 to 46% in 2012.
• The number of people who believe that texting or emailing while driving is a very serious threat declined from 87% in 2009 to 81% in 2012. The number of people who admit to texting while driving increased from 21% to 26% during the same period.
• The number of people who consider red-light running to be completely unacceptable declined from 77% in 2009 to 70% in 2012. Over a third (38%) admitted to running a red light within the previous month.

It's clear that the traffic safety education industry still has quite a bit of teaching to do! Make sure you're discussing these extremely hazardous behaviors—and their potentially deadly consequences—with your students in class. And take every opportunity to advocate for safer driving behaviors. You might just save a life!

National Teen Driver Safety Week October 14 – 20

Now's the time to prepare for National Teen Driver Safety Week, which runs from October 14 – 20, 2012! Promoting safe driving practices for teens is an important mission for providers of traffic safety education. Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers in America, and, mile for mile, teenagers are involved in three times as many fatal crashes as all other drivers. Moreover, it is during these formative years that young drivers learn techniques that are likely to stick with them; safe driving habits that are developed early on will serve drivers well for the rest of their lives.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) offers parents, educators, and teens themselves a wealth of useful resources related to this event. Research shows that inexperience and immaturity combined with excessive speed, not wearing seat belts, distracted driving (mobile phone use, loud music, teen passengers, etc.), driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs, and drowsy driving are prime contributors to teen-related crashes. Fortunately, these are behaviors that can be modified through awareness and education.

Another great educational tool for teen drivers is Teach Your Teen to Drive…and stay alive. This parent-teen driving guidebook covers the supervised driving requirements for licensing in all 50 states (for up to 60 hours of behind-the-wheel practice), and studies suggest that parent-teen driving practice can significantly reduce the chances of a young driver being involved in a crash. It's the perfect teaching tool for parents, and helps to eliminate the stress and anxiety associated with training a new teen driver. If someone doesn't need it for their own child, it makes a great gift idea for family members and friends who have teenagers.

Take some time to review this helpful information, and let's all make a difference this National Teen Driver Safety Week!

Ring In the New Year Right!

The new year is a time for revelry and renewal—not for an arrest for driving under the influence of controlled substances. Be sure to remind your students that now is a good time to start considering their transportation options if they'll be going out to celebrate New Year's Eve. After all, the penalties for DUI are getting harsher every year—and rightly so: roughly a third of motor vehicle fatalities involve an intoxicated driver, and the number is substantially higher during the winter holidays.

Earlier this month, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood highlighted the new "No Refusal" strategy that a number of states are employing to put an end to drunk driving. The "No Refusal" program allows law enforcement officers to quickly obtain warrants from "on call" judges in order to take blood samples from suspected intoxicated drivers who refuse a breathalyzer test. (The latest data show that the states with the highest refusal rates included New Hampshire at 81%, Massachusetts at 41%, Florida at 40%, Louisiana at 39%, and Ohio at 38%.) States that have adopted "No Refusal" programs report more guilty pleas, fewer trials, and more convictions.

What can drivers do to avoid a DUI—and, likely as not, save their lives or the lives of others? They can avoid driving after they've consumed alcohol or other intoxicating substances. Some alternatives include:

• Have a designated driver accompany their party.
• Take a cab, bus, train, etc.
• Call a sober friend for a ride home.
• Stay overnight at or near where they are consuming.
• Celebrate the New Year with activities that do not involve alcohol or drugs.

Also, some taxi services and auto clubs sponsor anti-DUI programs on New Year's Eve, but the details vary. Fortunately, there are still a few days left to investigate these services before they're really needed!