December 10 Meeting - GOHS

The agenda for the December 10, 2008 YADTT meeting includes Randy Clayton, Operations Manager for the Strategic Highway Safety Plan. Mr. Clayton will give us an update on the most recent developments with the SHSP. YADTT will also review the the Driver Education Commission's subcommittee recommendations for the Strategic Highway Safety Plan. YADTT will again review 2007 data on teen fatalities and injuries. Finally, we will review projects submitted by YADTT to GDOT for consideration.

MEETING TIME, PARKING & LOCATION:

10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Pay Parking is available at the following:
- Hurt Plaza Parking Garage located on Edgewood Avenue
- Georgia State University parking garage
- The Loudermilk Center

Governor's Office of Highway Safety (GOHS)
One Park Tower
34 Peachtree Street NE
Atlanta, GA 30303
404-656-6996


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The Five Most Dangerous Holidays for Drivers

These five are the most dangerous holidays to be on the road, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's report on motor vehicle deaths over three- or four-day holiday periods from 2001 to 2006, as well as the percentage of fatal crashes caused by intoxication and the AAA-estimated number of cars on the road for each holiday period.

READ THE TOP FIVE LIST, AND MORE AT YAHOO NEWS HERE.

NC Girl's Death Not Just a Statistic

Shannon Nicole Adkins had devoted herself to doing something about the wave of teen crash fatalities in her North Carolina county.


She studied teen highway deaths as her senior project at Clayton High School before graduating last spring. She changed her major at Wayne Community College from dental hygiene to criminal justice, says her aunt, Karmela Adkins.

Then on Saturday night she was killed in a head-on collision just a few blocks from her home, the victim of an alleged drunken driver.
 
Shannon Nicole Adkins' death is more than one family's tragedy. She's the 27th teen to die in a crash in Johnston County since the start of 2006, more than in any of the state's other 99 counties.
 

READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE AT USAToday.com

Prepare to Get Belted by Ford

Recently, Ford Motor Company showed two advanced prototypes that will likely see production by 2010: inflatable safety belts and four-point safety belts.


READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT EDMUNDS.COM HERE.

Ford "MyKey" Rolls Out in 2010

READ THE FULL STORY on Ford's website here.

New features programmed into the ignition key programming will limit top speed and control the volume of the stereo system, as well as remind the driver to fasten the seatbelt.

Naturally, teens aren't amused by the coming MyKey feature; A Ford survey found that 67 percent of teen drivers "don't like" the idea at all. When asked to factor in the possibility that MyKey might give them more chances to drive, the "hate it" figure drops to 36 percent, according to Ford's survey.

October 8 Meeting - Kennesaw State University

The agenda for the October 8, 2008 YADTT meeting includes Randy Clayton, Operations Manager for the Strategic Highway Safety Plan. Mr. Clayton will give us an update on the most recent developments with the SHSP, as well as direction for finalizing our action plan for the year. YADTT will also review the the Driver Education Commission's subcommittee recommendations for the Strategic Highway Safety Plan. Finally, YADTT will review 2007 data on teen fatalities and injuries.


MEETING TIME & LOCATION:

October 8, 2008
9:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
A.L. Burruss Institute*
Kennesaw State University (*NOT the main campus)
3333 Busbee Drive
Kennesaw, Georgia 30144
770-423-6464



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Drivers Ignoring Cell Phone Bans

article

Reader's Digest Special Report: The Dangers of Teen Driving

More than 5,000 teenagers die in car accidents every year. “If we saw these numbers coming back from a war zone, it would be on the front page every day,” says Vincent Leibell, a state senator from New York, where some 200 teens died in crashes in 2006.

The numbers aren't budging. Fatalities did drop from the mid-'70s through the early '90s, mainly because of tougher seat belt and drunk driving laws. But since then, the statistics have remained stubbornly high, despite improved safety features in cars.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE.

Find out what the IIHS used as ranking for the study here.

Good. Better. Best...How did Georgia rank?
Find out what IIHS determined here.

July 30 Meeting at Emory is CANCELLED

This meeting has been cancelled.

July 30 Meeting - Emory University in Atlanta

The focus of the next task team meeting is Alcohol.

Our scheduled guests are Virginia Plummer and Willie Bannister, Substance Abuse and Wellness Counselors and Educators for Emory University Student Health Services. They will present at 10:00 a.m. on alcohol and drug use prevalence among 17-24 year old University students.


MEETING TIME & LOCATION:

July 30
9:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.




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Emory University
1784 N. Decatur Rd.
Room 155 North Decatur Building
Atlanta, Georgia 30322
Phone: Emory University Police 404-727-8005

Parking:

A Police staff member will be at the South Lower gate deck entrance from 0830-0930. If entering after this time the parking gate will be down. Use the call button and identify the group “Young Adult Task Team” for entry.
CLICK HERE FOR A MAP OF THE NORTH DECATUR BUILDING AND PARKING

Once in the parking deck:
Exit the back side of the parking deck (near the entrance
The North Decatur Building is on the bend as Lowergate curves around, heading back toward Clifton Road. The building is six stories and has green glass. The entrance to the building, including wheelchair and pedestrian access, is on the ground floor, adjacent to the Lowergate South parking deck, or you may use the doors in the front of the building, facing North Decatur Road.

Should it be raining, you can also walk through the parking decks and bridges to get to the Lowergate South parking deck. Access is available on the 2nd floor of the deck to the 2nd floor of the North Decatur Building.


Lunch:

PLEASE EMAIL YOUR LUNCH ORDER FROM PANERA TO LT. CHERYL ELLIOT IN ADVANCE OF THE MEETING.

Although lunch is on your own, PLEASE REVIEW THE MENU FROM PANERA BREAD and email your order to Lt. Elliot. Your selection will be pre-ordered for delivery to alleviate re-parking. Emory University is graciously providing coffee and drinks.

Gas Prices Lead to 6% Decline in Teen Fatalities

A new study by the University of Alabama and Harvard Medical School says gas prices are causing driving declines that could result in a third fewer auto deaths annually, with the most dramatic drop likely to be among teen drivers. For drivers ages 15 to 17, the decline was 6 percent, and for ages 18 to 21, it was 3.2 percent.

Their study looked at fatalities from 1985 to 2006, when gas prices reached about $2.50 a gallon. With gas now averaging more than $4 a gallon, Morrisey said he expects to see much greater drop—about 1,000 deaths a month. With annual auto deaths typically ranging from about 38,000 to 40,000 a year, a drop of 12,000 deaths would cut the total by nearly a third.


READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE

Wisconsin: New teen driver laws are working

It's been nearly eight years since the graduated driver's license law went into effect for young drivers. In that time, injuries for 16- and 17-year-old drivers have dropped roughly 30 percent, according to statistics from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

MORE in The Week

California hands-free cell law for drivers in effect

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080702/ap_on_re_us/california_hands_free

Safest City to Drive- NOT Atlanta

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/16766735/detail.html

If you want to see the list, the link in the text of the article didn't work for me, but the one in the box on the right side did. http://www.wsbtv.com/automotive/16757340/detail.html

Teen Drivers: CDC Fact Sheet

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens, accounting for 36% of all deaths in this age group (CDC 2006). However, research suggests that the most strict and comprehensive graduated drivers licensing programs are associated with reductions of 38% and 40% in fatal and injury crashes, respectively, of 16-year-old drivers (Baker et al. 2007).

Persons aged 15 to 24, who represent only 14% of the U.S. population, account for 30% ($19 billion) of the total costs of motor vehicle injuries among males and 28% ($7 billion) of the total costs of motor vehicle injuries among females (Finkelstein et al. 2006).


More on the cost of teen fatalities, risk factors, resources, and research at the CDC's website.

BONUS SITE: CDC's List of Interventions currently under evaluation.

Cobb County Safety Village

http://www.cobbcountyga.gov/safetyvillage/

June 18 Meeting - GDOT TMC

The next YADTT Meeting will be joint with the Occupant Protection Task Team.

June 18
Time: 9am-3pm

Georgia Department of Transportation
Traffic Management Center
Georgia Department of Transportation
935 East Confederate Avenue, Building 24
Atlanta, GA 30316

Teen Crashes Cost $34BB+ in 2006

MSN Autos Editorial by Doug Newcomb
"The Staggering Cost of Teen Driving
Accidents involving teen drivers cost more than $34 billion in ’06."


http://editorial.autos.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=498409

Teens still top road crash list (Canada article)

Here is an interesting partnership between a research foundation and corporate partner Toyota in Canada to addreses teen driving issues:

From Drivers.com May 21, 2008

The Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF - CANADA) is pleased to announce the launch of the Young and New Driver Resource Centre.

"Reducing young driver crashes is not a simple issue; it will involve the help of young drivers, parents, researchers, and policymakers," says Mayhew. "Part of our motivation for creating the centre was to develop a resource that could speak to all of these groups ­ giving each of them meaningful information that can help with decision making."

"Toyota Canada is committed to keeping everyone on the road safe ­ including young and new drivers," says Beatty. "The creation of this resource centre is a step in the right direction and we were pleased to support this initiative."

"Whether you’re trying to improve GDL programs, select a driving school, or just looking for facts about young drivers ­ the centre contains something for everyone," says Mayhew.

Read more at Drivers.com