National Survey Finds Teens Know Safety Rules of the Road

February 1, 2005 -- CollegeBound Teen Magazine and Precision Tune Auto Care (PTAC) surveyed 2,100 teens about their driving habits in the second annual "Student Pass" sweepstakes. The promotion, which was designed to educate teen drivers on all aspects of safe driving and proper vehicle maintenance, had teens vying for the top prize of a Dell Computer. April Chatman, a college student from Livingstone College, in North Carolina won the new computer and Siva Reddy, who attends California State University, won a year's worth of free oil changes.

The survey asked teens to answer questions related to whether they drove the speed limit, wore seat belts, talked on their cell phones while driving, etc. Following are the results that show how teens are heeding the rules of the road.

1.
The first question in the survey asked teens if they generally drove the posted speed limit. 73% of the students said they did drive the speed limit, while 22% said they drove over the speed limit and 5% drove under the speed limit.

2.
When asked if they wore a seat belt, 89% of the students said they wear their seat belts all the time, 10% wore it sometimes, and only 1% said never.

3.
Since The Harvard Center for Risk Analysis reported in December 2002 that cell phone use could be faulted in 6 percent of the auto accidents in the United States each year, the survey asked if the students used their cell phones while driving. 37% of them do use their cell phone while driving, 33% use it only after they are at a complete stop, and 30% only with a hands-free unit.

4.
According to the Car Care Council, poor vehicle maintenance is responsible for five percent of road accidents involving 2,600 deaths and 100,000 disabling injuries each year. The surveyors asked how often the teens took their car in for service. 63% take their car in for service by following the guidelines in their owner's manual, 25% only when it breaks down and 12% when they think of it.

5.
The last question had to do with mirror adjustment. Joel Burrows, a.k.a. "The Car Doctor," and vice president of training and R&D at PTAC recommends adjusting all mirrors and checking windshield wipers before the car is put in gear. "Poor vision and inadequate lights during a rain or snow storm can be a deadly combination, as can adjusting these vital components while engaged in driving the vehicle," explained Burrows. 61% of the teens adjust mirrors every time get in car, 22% once in a while and 17% only when they can't see out back.

"Our goal was to educate students on car care, safe driving practices and give them incentives to have their vehicles inspected before they take those long drives back and forth to college," explains Gina LaGuardia, editor-in-chief of CB Teen. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports 7,452 fatal crashes involving young drivers (16-20) in 2003. "A comprehensive inspection can help increase the safety of vehicles and preclude troublesome, costly highway breakdowns. Such an investment empowers teens to assert their independence and responsibility -- another large part of the college preparation process."

Burrows urged teen drivers to buckle up and follow posted speed limits. "Students need to be well-rested before they head out for a long trip back to college," he said. According to the National Highway Traffic Administration, "..Every year, falling asleep while driving is responsible for at least 100,000 automobile crashes, 40,000 injuries, and 1550 fatalities. These crashes happen between the hours of midnight and 6am, involve a single vehicle and a sober driver traveling alone, with the car leaving the roadway without any attempt to avoid the crash." The Car Doctor is unswerving in his message that there are no circumstance when anyone should get behind the wheel if they have been drinking, are on drugs or are angry or upset. Drivers need to be fully alert and focused on the road and other vehicles in their vicinity to insure a safe trip. And, while having a cell phone is an important safety tool in case of an accident, don't drive and talk. Burrows also advises students keep the volume of their radio at a level that enables them to hear emergency vehicles.

PTAC is America's Neighborhood Auto Care Experts for scheduled maintenance, service and repairs for autos, SUVs and minivans. For more than 25 years, they have been the pioneers in advanced diagnostic training and development servicing over 2.5 million vehicles each year. PTAC operates more than 404 state-of-the-art professional service facilities throughout the world and is a leader in educating the public on the importance of car care for personal safety and the health of the environment.

Since 1987, The CollegeBound Network has worked in partnership with America's colleges and universities, Fortune 1000 companies, military branches, and leading educational companies to help students achieve their academic and lifestyle goals. The CollegeBound Network's suite of products includes CollegeBound Teen Magazine, CollegeBound.net CollegeBound Events, StudentPak Direct Mail, and CollegeBound Email NewsFlash. An independent survey also found CB Teen to be the most popular college-advice magazine among high school guidance counselors.

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