It’s an issue that hits every corner of our society. 

No other issue affects the safety of our children more than driving. Crashes continue to rank as the No. 1 cause of death among children and young adults, with a teenager being injured in a car crash an average of every 55 seconds. The fact that there are now nearly 15 million teen drivers in the United States further underscores the breadth of the problem.

The mission of the Teen Driving Council is, quite simply, to begin dramatically diminishing the odds of a teen being involved in a crash through a series of innovative awareness initiatives. While that goal could appear overly idealistic to some observers, consider this: 85% of crashes by 16-year-old drivers are attributed to teen driver error. Also, while the average teen athlete compiles over 1,000 hours of supervised coaching and practice, most states require only 50 hours of driving experience prior to issuing a driver’s license.

It is clear that something has to change. Now, through the Teen Driving Council, a coalition of concerned parents, teens, schools, non-profit organizations, opinion leaders and businesses are joining together to accelerate the speed and scope of this long-needed shift in perceptions and, more importantly, actions.

Other organizations and groups have and will continue to form around this increasingly evident issue, and it is important that they do. The Teen Driving Council will seek to support these efforts by supplying tools, resources and assistance wherever possible. In addition, the Teen Driving Council will work with all parties to help deliver one unified and consistent voice on the issue that can resonate with the power to change teen driving habits – and results.