110th CONGRESS 1st Session S. CON. RES. 36 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES CONCURRENT RESOLUTION Supporting the goals and ideals of National Teen Driver Safety Week.

Whereas motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for adolescents and young adults in the United States, and many of these deaths are preventable; Whereas almost 7,500 drivers between the ages of 15 and 20 years were involved in fatal crashes in 2005 throughout the United States; Whereas the fatality rate in the United States for drivers between the ages of 16 and 19 years, based on miles driven, is 4 times the fatality rate for drivers between the ages of 25 and 69 years; Whereas the majority of teen driver crashes in the United States are due to driver error and speeding, and 15 percent of the crashes are due to drunk driving; Whereas roughly two-thirds of the teenagers killed in motor vehicle accidents in the United States each year do not use seatbelts; Whereas approximately 63 percent of teen passenger deaths in the United States occur while other teenagers are driving; Whereas it is necessary to explore effective ways to reduce the crash risk for young drivers by focusing research and outreach efforts on areas of teen driving that show the most promise for improving safety; Whereas the National Teen Driver Survey, developed with input from teenagers and administered by The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, demonstrates a national need to increase overall awareness about the safe use of electronic handheld devices, the risk of nighttime and fatigued driving, the importance of consistent seatbelt use, and the practice of gradually increasing driver privileges over time as a young driver gains more experience under supervised conditions; Whereas in 2005, 1,553 crash fatalities involving a teen driver occurred in the fall, when teenagers are in the first months of the school year and faced with many decisions involving driving, including whether to drive with peer passengers and other distractions; and Whereas designating the third week of October as National Teen Driver Safety Week is expected to increase awareness of these important issues among teenagers and adults in communities throughout the United States, as additional research is conducted to develop and test effective interventions that will help teenagers become safe drivers: Now, therefore, be it

That Congress— (1)supports the goals and ideals of National Teen Driver Safety Week; and (2)encourages the people of the United States to observe the week with appropriate activities that promote the practice of safe driving among the Nation's licensed teenage drivers.

Passed the Senate October 15, 2007. Secretary