FOR RELEASE ON:  September 21, 1999
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Mitch Wilson/Dan Kelso, OII, (614) 228-1593
IIHS:  Julie Rochman (703) 247-1530
III:  Steve Goldstein (212) 669-9227

DOES YOUR TEENAGER DRIVE A SAFE CAR?
Vehicle choice is particularly important for young drivers

COLUMBUS, OH - If your teenager has just gotten a driver's license, chances are he or she is looking forward to driving to school this fall.  It may be hard to imagine handing them keys to your brand new car, but that may be the smartest choice to make.

While getting a driver's license is an exciting rite of passage for teens, it can be enough to make a parent frantic.  The Ohio Insurance Institute (OII), Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the Insurance Information Institute (III) say there's something worried parents can do to protect their teens-choose a safe vehicle.

• Teenagers should drive vehicles that reduce their chances of a crash and offer state-of-the-art protection in case they do crash. The first years teenagers spend as drivers are very risky.  In fact, teen drivers have the highest death rates of any age group. In 1997 alone, more than 5,700 teenagers died in motor vehicle crashes, and many more were left severely and permanently injured by crashes.  In 1997, there were 221 teenage crash fatalities in Ohio.  (Additional Ohio teen crash statistics are provided at the end of the release.)

  Teen drivers not only lack experience, but for many of them immature behavior, such as speeding and reckless driving, is common.  They may drive cautiously when mom or dad is in the car, but when they're on their own or with other teens, bad driving is often the norm.  Keep this in mind when you decide which vehicle your teen will drive and avoid vehicles that encourage reckless driving.

• Avoid choosing vehicles with a performance image.  Sports cars and other vehicles with performance features, such as turbocharging, are likely to encourage speeding.  Choosing a vehicle with a more sedate image reduces the chances your teen will be in a speed-related crash.
• Don't let your teen drive an unstable vehicle.  Sport utility vehicles, especially the smaller ones, are inherently less stable than cars because of their higher centers of gravity.  Abrupt steering maneuvers, the kind that can occur when teens are fooling around or over-correcting a driver error, can cause rollovers in these less stable vehicles.  A more stable car would, at worst, skid or spin out.  Even if your teenager drives a car with a sedate image, chances are still high that sooner or later he or she will be in a wreck.  This is why it's also important to pick a vehicle that offers good crash protection.
• Don't let your teen drive a small vehicle.  Small vehicles offer much less protection in crashes than larger ones.  However, this doesn't mean you should put your child in the largest vehicle you can find. Many mid- and full-size cars offer more than adequate crash protection.  Check out the safety ratings for mid-size and larger cars.
• Avoid older vehicles.  Most of today's cars are better designed for crash protection than cars of 6 to 10 years ago.  For example, a newer mid-size car with airbags would be a better choice than an older, larger car without airbags.  Before you make a final choice on the car your teenager will drive, take advantage of the wealth of consumer information available on car safety and safe driving tips on the web from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (www.hwysafety.org), Insurance Information Institute (www.iii.org) and the Ohio Insurance Institute (www.ohioinsurance.org).  The U.S. Department of Transportation also has information at (www.nhtsa.dot.gov).

The Ohio Insurance Institute is a trade and public information association representing insurance companies and agent groups for the property/casualty insurance industry. Its primary objective is to help Ohioans achieve a better understanding of insurance and related safety issues.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is an independent, nonprofit research and communications organization dedicated to reducing highway crash deaths, injuries and property damage.  The Institute is wholly supported by auto insurance companies.

The Insurance Information Institute is a nonprofit communications organization supported by the property-casualty insurance industry.  Its central function is to provide accurate and timely information on insurance subjects.

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NOTE:  See the following information for Ohio teen crash statistics and additional car safety and insurance tips for teens and parents.  Click here for a sample of a parent-teen driving contract.

Ohio teen crash facts

	In Ohio, one in five drivers between the ages of 16 and 20 were involved in crashes in 1997.  Male teenage drivers pose the most risk, with a 1 in 4.4 crash involvement ratio.  Female teenage drivers had a 1 in 5.2 chance of being involved in a crash in 1997.
	Ohio teen crash fatalities:  In 1997, 211 teenagers ages 16-20 died in Ohio traffic crashes.  Of these 133 were drivers, 76 were passengers and 2 were pedestrians.  In 1998, 214 lost their lives.  138 were drivers, 70 were passengers and 6 were pedestrians.
	Ohio teen crash injuries:  In 1997, Ohio teen crash-related injuries totaled 39,418, including 26,051 drivers, 12,963 passengers and 404 pedestrians.  In 1998, Ohio teen crash-related injuries totaled 38,933.  Of these, 25,840 were drivers, 12,735 were passengers and 418 were pedestrians.
	In both 1997 and 1998, male teen (ages 16-20) crash fatalities outnumbered their female counterparts by about 50% in the Buckeye state.  In 1997, there were 141 male teen crash-related deaths compared to 70 female crash fatalities.  In 1998, 138 male teens died in crashes compared to 70 female teenagers.

Safety measures for teen drivers and their parents

Young drivers should be the best drivers on the road.  Their enthusiasm for cars and ability to learn permit them to grasp driver fundamentals easily.  With superior reflexes, they have the ability to react to driving emergencies more quickly than their elderly counterparts.  But, immaturity and lack of judgment and driving experience may override these pluses.

Adding a teenage driver to an auto insurance policy can increase premiums by 50-200%!  To help keep insurance premiums down, here are a few measures that young drivers and their parents can consider.

	It's usually cheaper to add young drivers and their vehicles to the family's auto insurance policy rather than buying a separate one.  But, family assets may be open to lawsuits if your young driver is involved in an at-fault crash with losses higher than your policy limits.
	New drivers under age 18 must, by Ohio law, take an approved driver training course and have 50 hours of behind the wheel driving experience with a parent or guardian.  Most insurers recognize that driver training creates safer drivers, so ask if any discounts are available upon completion of driver training.
	Consider higher auto liability insurance limits, especially beyond the state's minimum limits.  To help defray the additional premium, consider higher deductibles or paying for minor fender benders out of pocket.
	Ask about young driver discounts, such as maintaining a "B" average or higher.  Some insurers provide an added incentive by knocking 5-30% off premiums.  Also, if your student keeps the vehicle away at school, it may be in a lower risk location, meaning a slight reduction in premiums.  In some cases, if the student is attending school over 100 miles away without a car, insurers offer lower auto premiums as well.
	Parents should establish restrictions for teen use of family vehicles and closely supervise its operation.
	Parents should set a good example by always buckling up, not speeding and avoiding risks while driving.
	Limit the number of passengers allowed in cars driven by teens at least to the number of safety belts.  Studies indicate that the more teens in the car, the greater the chance of risk-taking.
	Emphasize to teen drivers that traffic tickets and at-fault accidents will cause premiums to rise.
	Consider developing a parent/teen driving contract so each knows up front the expectations and responsibilities that come with driving privileges.