During the vehicle safety checks, automotive technicians identified potential problems with students’ vehicle belts, hoses, tires, lights, fluid levels and batteries. Technicians then discussed any detected problem with each student and provided an inspection sheet to take home to parents, said Kellie O’Riordan, AAA traffic safety program manager.
Students also were encouraged to sign a pledge to Slow Down! Speak Up! Stay Alert!
The AAA performs 24 inspections around the state every year, O’Riordan said. Several of the Lakota East students told the inspectors they didn’t know how to unlatch the hood or where to locate proper tire pressures.
Last year, more than 87 percent of the 1,367 cars AAA checked at Ohio high schools had at least one fault. The most common problems were with vehicle fluids and lights.
Car crashes remain the leading cause of death for teenagers, and spring and summer are especially dangerous for these new drivers, according to the AAA.
Nearly 38,000 injuries and fatalities occurred in Ohio teen driver crashes during the past five years, according to the Ohio Department of Transportation crash statistics. That’s an average of 20 injuries and fatalities every day.
Driving older, less reliable vehicle often puts these already inexperienced teen drivers at an even greater risk for breakdowns and crashes. That’s why AAA focuses its teen driver safety events around vehicle safety checks at high schools, O’Riordan said.
In addition to well-maintained vehicles, a modern young driver licensing system is a proven effective strategy for reducing teen driver crashes. Unfortunately, Ohio’s system for licensing young drivers hasn’t kept up with the latest research on teen driver crashes and how to prevent them, according to the AAA. As a result, young driver crash rates in Ohio remain unnecessarily high.
Modernizing Ohio’s young driver licensing system requires two small but important adjustments to bring it in line with current scientific evidence:
• Lengthen the temporary instruction permit phase from 6 to 12 months.
• Ensure newly licensed teen drivers are supervised by an adult while driving after 10 p.m., rather than midnight, for the first six months of licensure, with exemptions for work, school and religious activities.
What AAA says about teen driving
SLOW DOWN
- Nearly half of all driver say they have driven 10 mph over the speed limit on residential streets.
- 42.7 percent of drivers have driven through a traffic light that had just turned red when they could have stopped safely.
- 78 percent of drivers have engaged in at least one aggressive driving behavior in the last year, including purposely tailgating, yelling at other drivers, or honking their horn to show annoyance of anger.
SPEAK UP
- Nearly two-thirds of those killed in teen car crashes are people other than the driver. If a passenger spoke up, those numbers could look very different.
- Nearly all teens polled say they are uncomfortable speaking up when they don't feel safe in a vehicle, no matter the driver. You must advocate for your safety and the safety of others.
- Set the rules for your vehicle. Make sure everyone is buckled up and is doing their part to get to your destination safely.
STAY ALERT
- 33 percent of teen drivers have driven when they were so tired that they were having a hard time keeping their eyes open.
- 45 percent of drivers have read a text or email while driving in the past 30 days.
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