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Auto Club Launches Website for Teen Drivers, Parents

(LOS ANGELES, Oct. 18, 2010) – Parents have a new ally to help with their teens’ learning-to-drive process through the Automobile Club of Southern California new teen driver safety Web site
 
Launched this week during National Teen Driver Safety Week, the interactive site featuring the Keys2Drive program helps parents and teens manage the complex coming-of-age process by providing users with specific information based on where they live and where they are in the learning process—from preparing to drive (pre-permit) through the learner’s permit and solo driving.
 
“Parental involvement is critical in developing safe and prepared teen drivers,” said Senior Vice President for Public Affairs Alice Bisno.  “The Auto Club helped create the state’s Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) laws for teen drivers, and we fully recognize the learning-to-drive process can be intimidating, particularly for today’s busy families.  TeenDriving.AAA.com/CA is a unique and comprehensive teen driver safety Web site that simplifies the process by offering parents well defined tools and resources they need as they progress through each stage.  This makes what can be a daunting task for parents and teens much simpler to manage.”
 
The Web site features AAA StartSmart, a series of online newsletters and webisodes based on the National Institutes of Health’s Checkpoints program, which has been scientifically shown to help parents improve teen driver safety and is being offered nationally for the first time.  Some of the topics covered in AAA StartSmart’s 18 newsletters and webisodes include:
 
  • Nighttime driving;
  • Distracted driving;
  • Alcohol and other drugs; and
  • Parent-teen driving agreements
 
The site also offers an online version of AAA’s Dare to Prepare workshop and lessons from the motor club’s Teaching Your Teens to Drive coaching program, both of which assist families that are or soon will be learning to drive.
 
Parents will find information about California’s GDL system, and tips for selecting a driving school and choosing the right vehicle for their teens.  Parents will also learn more about some of the common risks associated with teen drivers. For more specific information about the Auto Club's teen driving school, parents can visit AAA.com/drivingschool or call (866) 909-8520.
 
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teen-agers nationwide, killing nearly 6,000 teens annually, according to the Auto Club.  In 2008 in California, nearly 296 teens, ages 15-19, were killed and another 27,878 were injured in traffic crashes.  Through safety programs, driver training and legislative efforts, the Auto Club and other AAA clubs nationwide have led efforts to reduce the number of teens injured and killed in vehicle crashes.
 
“For years, the Auto Club has been a leader in the area of teen driver safety through our legislative advocacy work to establish and improve graduated driver licensing systems across the country,” said Bisno.  “Our educational programs and public outreach efforts have also engaged and supported parents and teens through each step of the learning-to-drive process.”
 
 
 
CST 1016202-80 Copyright © Automobile Club of Southern California. All Rights Reserved.
The Automobile Club of Southern California is a member club affiliated with the American Automobile Association (AAA) national federation and serves members in the following California counties: Inyo, Imperial, Kern, Los Angeles, Mono, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Tulare, and Ventura.