The Allstate Foundation and singer Austin Mahone are challenging teens to #GetThereSafe during Global Youth Traffic Safety Month this May and throughout the summer, the deadliest season for young drivers on the road.
Starting today through August 8, teens across the country will have a chance to show where and how they get there safely by entering the #GetThereSafe Challenge. The winning high school will be determined by a random drawing and will receive a meet and greet with Austin in the fall.
Car crashes continue to be the No. 1 killer of American teens, causing more teen deaths each year than homicide, suicide, and cancer. The Allstate Foundation’s #GetThereSafe program asks teens not to engage in three risky behaviors that cause teen crash fatalities: speeding, failure to wear a seatbelt and distractions caused by passengers in the car. To demonstrate smart driving and to enter the Challenge, teens must upload photos of themselves or their destination and select a specific driving behavior hashtag – #slowdown, #seatbelt and #nodistractions via the free #GetThereSafe app (available on iTunes and in the Google Play stores).
“We should always have each other’s backs, and this program lets us do that when it really counts – behind the wheel,” said Mahone. “The fact that nearly eight teens die each day in car crashes motivated me to get involved so that my friends, family and fans can all get there safe every time they get into a car.”
The #GetThereSafe program also encourages teens to flag the issue of teen safe driving in their schools and communities through social media conversations and raising a #GetThereSafe flag. High schools in the states with the highest number of teen crash fatalities – California, Texas and Florida – will highlight the teen driving issue during the month of May at #GetThereSafe flag raising events on school campuses. The flag serves as a symbol of solidarity and a visual reminder for teens to practice smart driving behaviors every time they get in the car as a driver or passenger.
“We understand that driving provides teens with a sense of freedom and fun, but there is a serious responsibility that teens take on every time they get behind the wheel,” said Steve Sorenson, Allstate executive vice president of product operations. “We believe that small behavior changes, such as wearing a seatbelt and slowing down, can help teens focus on the critical task of getting to their destination safely.”
According to the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:
• Fifty–six percent of American teens in fatal car crashes were not wearing a seat belt.
• Speeding is a factor in one out of every three teen fatal crashes.
• For teens, adding one teen passenger to a car increases their crash risk by almost 50 percent and that risk grows exponentially as more teen passengers are added – 202 percent more likely to crash with two teen passengers and 439 percent more likely with three or more teen passengers.
The #GetThereSafe program supports the commitment that The Allstate Foundation has made to help reduce teen crash fatalities. To learn more about the #GetThereSafe program, valuable tips for teen drivers, rules for the #GetThereSafe Challenge and to view social media conversations around this important topic, visit www.teensgettheresafe.com.
