Summer time might be the “best time” for fun, but when it
comes to teen driving, it’s the most dangerous time. The statistics regarding
teen driving accidents are scary. Auto accidents are the leading cause of death
for people between three and 34 in this country. Measures that reduce
everyone’s speed also reduce the incidence of car crashes.
Teens are four times more likely to die in car accidents than adults. Their
in-vehicle behaviors bear this out. According to Childrens’ Hospitals of
Philadelphia and San Francisco:
* 75% of teens see friends or peers driving while fatigued.
* 90% see passenger behavior that is distracting to drivers.
* 20% of eleventh graders report being in an accident in the last year.
Teens are urged to take these smart steps during the summer - - especially
considering that teens are on the road even more during the summer months when
they are off from school.
* Slow down. For every mile per hour you drive, the likelihood of your being in
an accident increases four-to-five percent. (ERSO). If you are driving even 10
miles an hour faster, you increase your crash risk by as much as 50% (“Safe
Driving Tips,” from HowStuffWorks.com.) In 2008, speeding was a contributing
factor in 31% of all fatal crashes (NHTSA).
* Be alert, stay alert.
* Don’t let your passengers or their behavior distract you.
* Drive defensively. Assume the other guy is going to make a mistake.
* Never drive drink, impaired or drowsy.
Optotraffic’s laser speed sensor systems have a proven track record of reducing
both the number of speeders, and the speed of autos, in high-risk school zones,
reducing traffic accidents, injuries or fatalities and increasing public and pedestrian
safety at school crosswalks.
For example, in Forest Heights, Maryland, prior to the installation of the
company’s speed sensor system in a school zone along a busy highway, studies
indicated that approximately 6,000 vehicle per day travelled at speeds in
excess 11 miles per hour over the speed limit. Tragically, before the sensors,
there had been a number of fatalities there due to speeding accidents. In the
year since the Optotraffic speed enforcement system was installed, the number
of speeders has been significantly reduced, and there have been no fatalities.
In another Maryland location, Riverdale Park, the number of speed citations
declined 75% from a date shortly after installation of the speed enforcement
system to a date last fall, six months later. And in the city of College Park,
Maryland - - home of the main campus of the University of Maryland, speed
citations dropped approximately 71% shortly after installation.
Contact:
OptoTraffic, Inc.
4600 Forbes Blvd.
Lanham, MD 20706
T: 301-552-6000
F: 301-552-6411
