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Dear Partners,
October is often a busy month, when school is in full swing, extracurricular activities increase, and weekends are filled with grocery shopping, sporting events, and errands. This is a great time to focus on transportation safety as we observe Pedestrian Safety Month, National School Bus Safety Week (Oct. 21–24), and National Teen Driver Safety Week (Oct. 20–26).
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more school-age pedestrians deaths occur between 3:00 and 4:00 p.m. than in any other hour of the day. This is the hour when most children are walking in school zones or are being dropped off by school buses and when teen drivers are heading home or to after-school activities. National Safety Council car accident statistics show that drivers 16–19 years old represent 3.6% of licensed drivers but account for 9.1% of drivers in all crashes and 6.1% of drivers in fatal crashes.
Studies have identified three common critical errors made by teen drivers that lead to serious crashes: lack of scanning to detect and respond to hazards; driving too fast for road conditions; and being distracted by something inside or outside of the vehicle. Strategies for preventing crash-related injuries include consistently using seat belts and limiting nighttime driving and peer passengers during the first year of driving independently.
Resources related to teen driver safety, school bus safety, and pedestrian safety can be found in the newsletter below, with those from our CSN-A partners highlighted in purple.
Please widely share these resources with your networks.
Kindly,
Jennifer Leonardo
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