Johnny Londoff Chevrolet: It's National Teen Driver Safety Week

Oct. 19, 2010 - PRLog -- Today’s digital age creates numerous distractions for all drivers, especially the inexperienced: teenagers.  Whether it’s friends in the vehicle, loud music or texting, distractions to drivers of all ages are of high concern.  

In fact, a 2008 study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows that some 1.7 percent of drivers 16 to 24 years old were observed visibly manipulating hand-held electronic devices while driving, which was up from 1.0 percent the previous year.  

Johnny Londoff Chevrolet (http:www.londoff.com) is dedicated to drawing attention to serious issues surrounding driver safety.  Therefore, we’d like to note that this week (October 17-23) marks “National Teen Driver Safety Week,” a national effort that hopes to create awareness that distractions are the top cause of death for adolescents.

This year’s theme is devoted to reducing distractions for teen drivers.  According to research conducted by the NHTSA, distractions are listed as the No. 1 reason for new driving accidents.  In fact, car crashes are also the top cause of death for adolescents in the U.S.

In an attempt to seek answers to rectify this serious issue, the same survey asked teenagers what would influence them from ditching their cell phones while driving.  The answers were as follows:

•   License taken away if caught using their phone
•   Law against using a cell phone while driving
•   Insurance agencies offered financial incentive
•   Friends had to give up their phones

As you can see, today’s technology helps serve as a catalyst for the numerous distractions that everyone faces on the road.  At Johnny Londoff Chevrolet, we hope that the information above helps create awareness for “National Teen Driver Safety Week” and provides a wakeup call to those who may be unaware of the impact of such tasks as texting and using your cell phone can have while operating your vehicle on the road.  

Johnny Londoff (http:www.londoff.com) offers several vehicles like the Chevrolet Cruze, Equinox, Malibu and Silverado that have packages that include both Bluetooth, a mobile hands-free technology, and OnStar, a comprehensive in-vehicle safety, security and communication service.  In tandem, these services help eliminate distractions and keep your focus on the road, not your smartphone.

For additional information, check out TeenDriversSource.org (http://www.teendriverssource.org) for a more in-depth analysis on the effects of distractions and driving and how to educate teens on its dangers.