Whereas automobile accidents involving teenage drivers
result in the highest cause of death and injury for adolescents between the
ages of 15 and 20 years;
Whereas, each year, 7,460 teenage drivers between the ages
of 15 and 20 years are involved in fatal crashes, and 1,700,000 teenage drivers
are involved in accidents that are reported to law enforcement officers;
Whereas driver education and training resources have
diminished in communities throughout the United States, leaving families
underserved and lacking in opportunities for educating the teenage drivers of
those families;
Whereas, in addition to costs relating to the long-term
care of teenage drivers severely injured in automobile accidents, automobile
accidents involving teenage drivers cost the United States more than
$40,000,000,000 in lost productivity and other forms of economic loss;
Whereas technology advances have increased the opportunity
of the United States to provide more effective training and research to novice
teenage drivers; and
Whereas the families of victims of accidents involving
teenage drivers are working together to save the lives of other teenage drivers
through volunteer efforts in local communities: Now, therefore, be it
That the Senate—
(1)designates the
month of July 2007 as National Teen Safe Driver Month
;
and
(2)calls upon the
members of Federal, State, and local governments and interested
organizations—
(A)to commemorate
National Teen Safe Driver Month with appropriate ceremonies, activities, and
programs; and
(B)to encourage the
development of resources to provide affordable, accessible, and effective
driver training for every teenage driver of the United States.
June 21, 2007
Reported without amendment