AAA/Coalition to share new data showing
deadly effects of teen driver crashes
New teen driver data release supports HB343, SB 221
WHAT:
The
majority of people killed in Ohio in teen driver crashes are people
other than the teen drivers themselves, according to a recent analysis
of ten years of crash data by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
AAA
and The Ohio Teen Driver Coalition says the data provides new urgency
to strengthen
Ohio’s Graduated Driver Licensing Law (GDL).
WHERE:
The
new data analysis will be presented at a news conference in Columbus
in the Ohio Statehouse Atrium.
WHEN:
11
a.m. on Wed. Jan. 18th, 2006
WHO:
Representatives
of AAA, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Ohio Teen Driver Coalition
and legislators will state their case for a stronger GDL law in Ohio.
The
teen driver crash data analysis will be presented by Susan Pikrallidas,
AAA National vice president of public affairs.
AAA analyzed government
data from 1995 through 2004, identifying and describing all fatal crashes
involving 15-, 16-, and 17-year-old drivers of passenger vehicles.
The
Ohio Teen Driver Coalition includes Advocates
for Highway & Auto Safety; Akron Children’s Hospital; Association
of Ohio Health Commissioners; Caring Ladies Increasing Community Knowledge
(CLICK); Columbus Children’s Hospital; DaimlerChrysler Corporation;
Ohio Children’s Hospital Association; the National Safety Council,
Central Ohio and Youngstown Chapters; Mothers Against Drunk Driving
(MADD), Ohio Chapter; Ohio Conference of AAA Clubs; the Ohio Department
of Public Safety; the Ohio Insurance Institute; Ohio State Highway
Patrol; Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital of Cleveland;
Think First Injury Prevention; Police Officer’s Safety Council
of Summit County, and the Tri-State Trauma Coalition.
WHY:
If
passed, HB 343 and SB 221, sponsored by Rep. Tom Raga and Sen. Gary
Cates, respectively, would:
- Increase the minimum age for a permit from
15 and 6 months to 16 years old.
- Increase the minimum age for an intermediate license from 16
to 16 and six months.
- Add a passenger restriction (no more than one non-family member)
to the intermediate license stage.
- Increase the length of the intermediate license (extending the
night and passenger restrictions) stage from 12 to 18 months.
Note: B-roll package will be available via satellite
on Jan. 18.
