[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 90 (Wednesday, June 6, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7197-S7198]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 36--SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF 
                    NATIONAL TEEN DRIVER SAFETY WEEK

  Mr. CASEY (for himself, Mr. Specter, Mr. Durbin, and Mr. Obama) 
submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation:

                             S. Con Res. 36

       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
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), 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.

  Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce, along with my 
colleagues, Senators Specter, Durbin and Obama, a Senate concurrent 
resolution that will recognize a National Teen Driver Safety Week 
during the third week of October. This resolution will focus increased 
public attention and positive action upon the No. 1 cause of death of 
adolescents in our country--motor vehicle crashes. The fatality rate 
for drivers ages 16 to 19 is approximately four times that of drivers 
ages 25 to 69. In 2005, approximately 7,500 of our Nation's teenagers 
were involved as drivers in fatal car crashes.
  According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration, 13 of 67 counties in Pennsylvania had six deaths or 
more in 2005 as a result of traffic accidents involving teens. In 
Lackawanna County alone, where I reside, there were 13 accidents among 
drivers ages 19 and under that resulted in death or an incapacitating 
injury.
  It is essential that we focus a heightened degree of public attention 
and awareness upon this tragic--and preventable--crisis. A majority of 
teen driver crashes are due to driver error and speeding. We must 
provide more numerous and effective interventions that will help reduce 
accidents involving teen drivers.
  We all know that learning to drive is an important rite of social 
passage and independence for teenagers. The Children's Hospital of 
Philadelphia, in partnership with the State Farm Insurance Companies, 
is conducting ongoing research on teen drivers and recently completed 
the National Young Driver Survey, questioning thousands of students 
across the country. The survey was designed to be representative of the 
10.6 million public high school students in the United States. Thanks 
to this new data, we know more about what teens themselves think about 
driving and how we can more effectively instill safe driving habits.

[[Page S7198]]

  I would like to mention three key findings from this survey:
  1. The critical role of parents. As parents, we are often our 
children's first driving teachers. But our role does not end when our 
children get their licenses. Parents play a major role in setting and 
enforcing safe driving behavior, supervising their teen drivers, and 
ensuring that teens assume responsibility for driving, including 
financial responsibility.
  2. The prevalence of risky distractions. With 80 percent of teen 
drivers reporting that they own cell phones, these technological 
advances pose a serious threat to our children's safety while driving. 
Nearly all--93 percent of--teens in the survey report that they witness 
distractions such as cell phone calls, loud music, other teens in the 
car, and their own emotions. Nearly half of all teens say they have 
witnessed road rage in fellow teen drivers.
  3. The prevalence of risky driving behaviors. While 50 percent of 
teens report seeing other teens drive drunk, nearly three fourths of 
teens report seeing their peers drive while fatigued. Half of teens 
report driving 10 miles over the speed limit at least some of the time. 
Only 65 percent of teens say they consistently use seat belts.
  This superb research from Children's Hospital will continue to 
provide us greater insight and strategies for reaching our young 
people.
  Our resolution will designate the third week in October, when schools 
are back in session, as a time for intensive outreach and programming 
to encourage teens to drive more safely--to minimize risky driving 
conditions, to manage peer-to-peer interactions around driving, and to 
learn the skills they need to detect and react to hazards more 
appropriately.
  As a member of the Senate, and as a father, I want to do everything 
in my power to ensure our children are safe on the road. Losing even 
one child to a preventable death is a tragedy beyond words. I urge my 
colleagues to support this resolution recognizing a National Teen 
Driver Safety Week.

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