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Quotation from a student's blog:  "Get wiped out in your car and, hey, that's it - it's over!"

Quotation from a French art student's poster:  "The road is not a video game. You only get one life!"

A Student's Point of View -- Drunk Driving Can Ruin Spring Break -- by Kristi Erk

     Spring break is upon us again. We will all wait impatiently for Friday with dreams of beaches or western ski slopes, or simply of our hometown and home-cooked meals. And while I count myself among this group, I do so with a burden upon my shoulders. It is time now to share that burden with you all.

     Just over two weeks ago, I received a phone call from a close high school friend. She doesn’t go to school here, so it is a rare occasion that we get to talk. I was excited when I saw her name on the caller ID, but the tone of her voice on the other line told me all was not well. After taking a deep breath to compose herself, she shared the news with me that a good friend from home had been killed in a car accident....

Read the full article (March 3, 2005), from the Collegiate Times

Are you sick of getting lectured by adults about road safety and stuff? We all went through what you are at now: All that talk about a new license, new freedom -- blah, blah, blah -- and we reacted just the same, too -- we didn't want to listen, either! 

But one thing most of us grasped quite quickly is that it's difficult to have fun if you are dead. Have a look at this linked site and think it through for yourself. Is taking chances worth it? 

Hard Facts -- What are YOUR odds?:  Although the number of drivers ages 16 to 20 who were killed [in the USA, in 2003] declined by 4.4 percent from the previous year, there were still 3,571 such fatalities, according to the NHTSA. Crashes involving young drivers killed 2,292 [of their own] passengers. And in all, there were 7,353 fatal accidents involving young drivers last year. That's an average of twenty every day, and this doesn't include several hundred thousand young drivers and their passengers who are "merely" injured each year; all of which rather narrows the odds for those who believe "It'll never happen to me!"

[Source: Washington Post, September 9, 2004]

This one's particularly for the guys!

       --  Got a new car?

       --            Got a new girlfriend?

       --                      Got your friends in the car with you?

Survey results released in February 2004 by the UK Department for Transport's Think! Road Safety campaign show what we really think of our other half's driving - and many of us are scared and angered when our partners speed, and this applies when our friends are driving, too.

There are some key facts in this report and it is valuable reading for any driver. Click here. (Feb. 2004)

Some basic but good advice for teens and other new drivers may be found on 'A Safer Site - Young Drivers,' from the NSC.

Nobody is trying to talk down to you, here, but click on the image and let us show you why adults can get so wound up about young people driving too fast or a newly-qualified youngster taking a group of friends as passengers (both situations being potentially very dangerous).

________________________________

In the two pictures thumb-nailed below, a BMW driven by a nineteen-year-old man, with four teen & 'twenties' passengers, was travelling so fast it launched over the safety barriers in the middle of the road and hit an oncoming Land Rover Freelander. All five in the BMW were killed. Three people, including a two-year-old boy, were killed in the Freelander, and at the time of writing, one adult is still in hospital in serious condition.

The full story of this dreadful and pointless carnage is on our international 'Road Safety In The News' web page, listed under May 18, 2004. 

The ThinkQuest Library has a site by teen drivers for teen drivers: "Everything you  ever wanted to know about teenage driving but were afraid to ask." 

In Ohio, 'The Matrix' is Athens High School's online student newspaper. Click here to read one of those student's take on safe driving.

Have a groan now if you don't like statistics, but DO read this page. There are lots of things on it that could keep you living long enough for you to have that fun was mentioned higher up this page.

In Australia, two kids who lost siblings in separate road crashes formed TRAG (Teenagers' Road Accident Group) and this website gives a good insight.

The graduated licensing system for each U.S. state is available here, from the IIHS.

Always wear your seat belt

Watch this film from Ireland about young people just

having fun.

One video-clip from Britain looks at the consequences of 

Drunk Driving

Have a look at the 

When You Drive website (designed by teens)

and in particular  

Watch the full intro

Check out some of the bad driving advice that's around!

Why is it important to get plenty of driving practice?

(This excellent and very readable article comes from Australia but provides excellent information for young drivers and/or parents everywhere.)

Click here for Hella's new version of “Light Driver” – a multi-country safety-oriented, Internet-based game with big prizes

FMG is an award-winning campaign. Turn your PC volume up then click on the red box. 

Click on the photo or here to watch a PSA film made by high school students in Pennsylvania with the support of Erie Insurance Group

DaimlerChrysler have brought out a fun quiz for teens (and another one for you to hit your parents with!). Check them out here.

Freevibe have an interesting site for young drivers, about drugs and driving, here

Click here for other links for younger drivers.