The Allstate Foundation and American Academy of Pediatrics Partner to Address No.1 Killer of Teens
Pediatricians in eight states help educate families on the importance of stronger teen driving laws
(3BL Media) April 10, 2012 - Pediatricians are among America’s most-trusted allies for information on children’s health. Now they are lending their expertise to address a public health crisis affecting thousands of families – teen driving deaths. The Allstate Foundation and eight chapters of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) have joined forces to combat this epidemic and educate communities on the importance of stronger graduated driver licensing laws. The AAP recommends that states adopt, improve and enforce these laws for teen drivers.
Throughout 2012, chapters in Alabama, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, New Hampshire, New York, and Pennsylvania will be mobilizing and equipping pediatricians in their state to have the teen safe driving conversation with the families they treat everyday. From creating an application for tablet computers to a series of webinars and advertising campaigns, each chapter is addressing the teen driving issue in the way most suitable for their specific state with the hope of creating behavior change and saving lives.
“The partnership between The Allstate Foundation and The American Academy of Pediatrics demonstrates a commitment to making sure that no American family has to deal with the loss of a loved one due to a teen driving crash,” said Vicky Dinges, vice president of public social responsibility at Allstate. “The American Academy of Pediatrics lends another credible and respected voice to the effort to educate the public about teen driving deaths and will help give communities the tools and education needed to protect our most valuable asset – our children.”
Between 2000 and 2009, more than 81,000 people were killed in crashes involving drivers ages 15 to 20. Each year, nearly 4,000 teens are killed on America’s roadways. While the numbers are staggering, graduated driver licensing laws have been proven effective by more than 70 studies and shown to reduce crashes by up to 40 percent.
“The Academy and its chapters in all 50 states have been working on teen driving legislation for more than 15 years and are excited to partner with The Allstate Foundation on this important initiative," said Joseph O’Neil, MD, FAAP of the AAP Council on Injury, Violence and Poison Prevention Executive Committee. “Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for adolescents. One thing we know is that graduated driver licensing laws help young, novice drivers gain experience with less risk."
To learn more about The Allstate Foundation and its partnership with the AAP, visit www.allstatefoundation.org.
About The Allstate Foundation
Established in 1952, The Allstate Foundation is an independent, charitable organization made possible by subsidiaries of The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL). Through partnerships with nonprofit organizations across the country, The Allstate Foundation brings the relationships, reputation and resources of Allstate to support innovative and lasting solutions that enhance people’s well-being and prosperity. With a focus on teen safe driving and building financial independence for domestic violence survivors, The Allstate Foundation also promotes safe and vital communities; tolerance, inclusion, and diversity; and economic empowerment. For more information, visit www.allstatefoundation.org.
About the American Academy of Pediatrics
The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 60,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.
