KANSAS CITY, MO — A new national campaign is sounding the alarm on what experts are calling a “new universe of roadway risk.” As dangerous driving behavior escalates across the country, a growing number of advocates are calling for immediate action to better protect teen drivers—America’s most vulnerable group on the road.
“This is a new approach to teen driver safety,” says Douglas R. Horn, national spokesperson for teen driver protection and founder of the Protect Teen Drivers Now campaign. “We have reached a point where parents and schools need to fully engage, not just in education, but in preparing teens to drive defensively in order to handle a new universe of roadway risks.”
Horn says that speeding, distraction, and reckless maneuvers are more common than ever before, creating a traffic environment teens are not prepared to face. He emphasizes that parents and schools must first recognize how the risks have changed and then focus on teaching a defensive driving approach that equips teens to anticipate hazards, respond calmly under pressure, and stay out of dangerous situations.
The campaign is rooted in three core pillars. First, it raises public awareness about the new realities on the road. Second, it emphasizes that parents play the most critical role in instilling safe driving habits. And third, it proposes that high schools nationwide reintegrate driver safety into the 9th and 10th grade health curriculum—not as traditional driver’s ed, but as a public health initiative to reduce injuries and fatalities.
To support these goals, the campaign offers a free resource, the Teen Driver Protection guide, available at www.hornlaw.com. The guide contains 12 tips designed to help families establish safer habits and serves as a model curriculum for schools seeking to implement short-term driver safety instruction in the classroom.
“We treat vaping, nutrition, and mental health as part of high school health education,” Horn says. “Why not include the approach to being a safe driver? The stakes are so high.”
The campaign is gaining momentum among parents, educators, healthcare professionals, and community leaders nationwide. More information and downloadable materials are available at www.hornlaw.com.
