DID YO U KNO W... • Seat belts were added to cars as standard equipment in 1968.* Teens have the lowest seat belt use rates of any age group, leading to deadly consequences. According to a Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia study, six out of 10 drivers ages 16 to 20 killed in crashes were unrestrained. Almost two out of three teens killed as occupants of motor vehicles are unrestrained. (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia – Driving Through the Eyes of Teens) • In 1974 a national speed limit of 55mph was enacted in the U.S.* A larger proportion of teen fatal crashes involve speeding, or going too fast for road conditions, compared to other drivers. Drivers ages 16-17 in fatal and personal injury(F&PI) crashes in New York State, were much more likely than all drivers in F&PI crashes to have “unsafe speed” reported as a contributing factor (18% vs. 7% in 2008). • The first car crash occurred in Paris in 1771.* On the basis of miles driven, teenagers are involved in three times as many fatal crashes as all other drivers. (NHTSA) • The first cell phone call was placed on April 3, 1973 by Martin Cooper.* Driver inattention/distraction is among the top three contributing factors of fatal and personal injury crashes involving drivers ages 16-17 in New York State. (ITSMR) *Source: Autotrivia.com 1 | Teen Driver Resource Guide • www.dmv.ny.gov