The National Safety Council (NSC) has issued a call for stories of teen driver crashes that resulted in serious injuries or fatalities. The organization isn’t ghoulish; it is seeking the information so that its affiliated HEARTS Network can share the stories behind the numbers to bring new awareness to this national epidemic that costs so many lives.
“Survivor stories will help prevent future crashes, sparing other families from going through the pain and grief of losing a loved one in a motor vehicle crash, the No. 1 cause of death for teens,” says David Teater, senior director of transportation initiatives at NSC. “Sharing these stories also can be of great benefit to people working through grief or recovering from a serious injury. Trying to make something positive come out of a tragedy can be very helpful to survivors.”
Anthony Farrace was only 17 years old when he was killed as a passenger of a teen driver who lost control of the vehicle and slammed into a tree. His father, John Farrace, is now one of more than 60 HEARTS members who speak about their personal experiences with the hope that more teens will be safer on America’s roadways because of it.
“Through the kindness and support of the HEARTS Network, we have been given the opportunity to share our tragic story,” says John Farrace. “We hope to enlighten teen drivers and their parents on the importance of making the right choices to keep themselves and others safe on the road.”
Teen drivers are not the only ones dying in teen-related crashes. In fatal crashes involving teen drivers ages 15 to 17, about two-thirds of the victims were not teen drivers. Instead, they were occupants of other vehicles, young passengers and non-motorists, such as pedestrians and bicyclists. More than 5,600 fatal crashes involving teen drivers were recorded in 2009 (the last year for which we have definitive statistics), and countless families and friends have been affected. If you know of a serious crash involving a teen driver and you’d like to share your story, email [email protected] or call 630-775-2411.
