The FINANCIAL — Summer months had the highest number of teen driver fatalities, according to a Ford analysis of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data from 2007 to 2011.
For 2011, the latest data available, there were 358 teen driver fatalities in traffic crashes during June, July and August, as compared to 271 teen driver fatalities during the winter (December, January and February). But the survey results of 500 teens and 500 parents show more than half of teens (66 percent) and parents (58 percent) believe winter is the most dangerous season for teens on the road.
Yet only 26 percent of parents use a device to enforce driving rules or restrict cell phone use for teens while they are driving, according to the survey. Ford’s MyKey technology, now enabled on more than 6 million Ford and Lincoln vehicles in the United States, is designed to limit distractions and focus attention on helping teens build safe driving habits, according to Ford Motor Company.
“Ford has a long record as a safety leader, and continues to work through many channels to help address the risk factors associated with inexperienced drivers,” said Steve Kenner, global director, Automotive Safety Office, Ford Motor Company. “Features such as MyKey and programs such as Ford Driving Skills for Life help parents and teens as they develop the skills needed to control a vehicle, detect hazards and assess driving situations,” he added.
The survey also found that despite reporting lower rates of the riskiest behaviors overall, parents are 40 percent more likely to check their phones while driving than their teenage children (28 percent of parents compared to 20 percent of teens).
In 2013 Ford DSFL is doubling the number of students it reaches with its hands on driving programs to approximately 40,000. This includes visits to at least 40 high schools in Arizona, California, Illinois, Michigan, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia with an array of activities focused on common driving challenges faced by teen drivers. Teens will experience real-world driving situations in a controlled environment using specially equipped vehicles. The hands-on clinics offer professional drivers and activities that build skills in five key areas: driver distraction, speed management, space management, vehicle handling and hazard recognition.
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