|
Jan. 17, 2025 - During National Passenger Safety Week, the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission reminds everyone they have the right to speak up if they are in a car with an unsafe, distracted or impaired driver.
LHSC is celebrating National Passenger Safety Week, which runs January 20-27. Now in its fourth year, the national campaign’s goal is to raise awareness among passengers that they can and should be their own safety advocates if a driver is making poor choices.
“When you are a passenger, you have a responsibility to wear your seat belt and not be a distraction to the driver,” LHSC Executive Director Lisa Freeman said. “You also have the right to call out bad driver behavior that can endanger you and others.”
From 2019-2023, motor vehicle crashes in Louisiana killed 658 passengers, according to the Center for Analytics and Research in Transportation Safety at LSU. During that same period, more than 100,000 passengers were injured.
Some passengers may be hesitant to speak up for fear of being labeled a “back-seat driver.” But if a passenger is in a car with a driver who is speeding, distracted, careless, or worse, “being called names is the least of your worries,” Freeman said.
“You can get your point across without being offensive,” Freeman said. “Bottom line, you owe it to yourself to calmly inform the driver that his or her driving is unacceptable. The stakes are just too high.”
(Click here to see a 2024 LHSC Safety Minute video for National Passenger Safety Week.)
Parents of teenagers also should question their children about whom they are riding with, whether they know the driver, and the condition of the driver’s car. The National Passenger Safety Week campaign’s website provides a checklist of questions parents can ask their children.
“Also, it’s critically important for parents to exhibit sound driving practices for their children,” Freeman said. “Teens learn how to drive from their parents and grandparents, so whatever habits you have, good or bad, those probably will be the ones your children have. Always wear your seat belt, never drive impaired, and pay attention to your driving.”
National Passenger Safety Week was launched by two highway safety organizations, We Save Lives and the National Road Safety Foundation. The campaign’s goal is to promote safe driving practices by empowering passengers to speak up against unsafe driver behavior.
| 
