Editor’s Note: While Be Smart. Be Well. is an American organization, the resources offered in their Safe Teen Driving Day campaign will still be a boon to Canadian parents that may want to open a dialogue and learn more about driving safety with their teenage children that are learning to drive.
Chicago, IL — Today marks the official start of summer, but for most teens, summer vacation is already in high gear. That means that the season known as the 100 Deadliest Days for teen drivers — Memorial Day to Labor Day — has begun.
To bring attention to safe teen driving this summer, BeSmartBeWell.com is inviting the members of the Facebook community to make today, June 20th, Safe Teen Driving Day. On the Safe Teen Driving Day event page, BeSmartBeWell friends are invited to join the Safe Teen Driving movement, interact with experts and share ideas on how they will stay safe today, and every other day of the year.
Hear From Experts
The Safe Teen Driving Event will feature guest postings by teen driving experts, including Erin Sauber-Schatz, Ph.D., M.P.H., a senior research scientist with the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Other contributors include Eliseo Saldivar, a longtime driving education instructor and faculty advisor to an award-winning safe-driving campaign, and Bryan Epstein, a high school student and national teen driving advocate.
There will be important videos on teen driving and a downloadable parent-teen driver agreement. The agreement lists driving rules—like always wear a seat belt, never text and drive, etc.—and spells out consequences for violating those rules.
Take Action and Get Involved
One of the best ways to keep teens safe behind the wheel is to start talking about safe-driving rules and expectations. Research shows teens who have parents who establish clear boundaries and expectations are less likely to engage in risky driving behavior. The BeSmartBeWell Facebook Event is intended to get parents and teens commenting, posting and sharing ideas on this Safe Teen Driving Day.
Also on Facebook.com/BeSmartBeWell, experts and real-life parents provide practical advice for starting conversations about safe driving and getting teens the driving experience they need to be safe behind the wheel.
Learn More about Safe Teen Driving
The conversation continues at BeSmartBeWell.com/Teen-Driving, where parents and teens will find:
- Interviews with leading experts, real parents and real teens
- Sample driving agreements
- Reputable resources and links for more information
- A quiz about the risks to teen drivers.
At the site, visitors can also browse in-depth articles and breaking news on teen driving and other important health topics.
