New research shows how you talk to your teen about safe driving can affect the likelihood of your teen having a tragic crash

Car crashes remain the No. 1 cause of death among teens; however many teen driver-related injuries and deaths are preventable. This year, as part of National Teen Driver Safety Week (NTDSW), Oct. 18-24, We have an important message to share with Scottsdale parents: how you talk to your teens about safe driving can significantly affect the likelihood of your teen having a tragic crash.

In 2007, 183 people were killed in crashes involving teen drivers in Arizona. Since 2005, Arizona crashes involving teen drivers have claimed 1044 lives. On a national level, since 1999, almost 78,000 people have been killed in crashes involving teen drivers. October averaged the highest number of teen vehicle crashes and on average the number of 16- and 17-year-old driver claims involving injury or collision increases nearly 20 percent in October as compared to other months.

On October 23, 2009 during the Coronado/Tempe High School football game, agent Joy Estes, in conjunction with the Scottsdale Police Department, will be holding a teen driver safety fair. The Scottsdale PD's crash car as well as demonstrations and other activities will take place. Participants will be exposed to a wealth of information critical to preparing teens for driving as well as information for teens already on the road.

The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia formed the Young Driver Research Initiative (YDRI) to reduce teen driver deaths through scientific research. A new study based on the National Young Driver Survey of more than 5,500 teenagers revealed that the way parents communicate to their teens about safe driving can strongly influence their teens' likelihood of a car crash.

The study, Driving: Through the Eyes of Teens: A Closer Look, revealed that teens who said their parents set clear rules, paid attention to whom they were with and where they were going, and did so in a supportive way were:

* Half as likely to crash

* Twice as likely to wear seat belts

* 71 percent less likely to drive while intoxicated

* 30 percent less likely to use a cell phone while driving

The study also revealed:

* Parents need to be sure their teens receive at least 50 hours of supervised practice under a wide variety of conditions while learning to drive.

* Limiting primary access to vehicles during the first 6 to 12 months of driving is important. Teens who are the main driver of a vehicle are more than twice as likely to report having been in a crash than teens who share a car with a family member.

About The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was founded in 1855 as the nation's first pediatric hospital. Through its long-standing commitment to providing exceptional patient care, training new generations of pediatric healthcare professionals and pioneering major research initiatives, Children's Hospital has fostered many discoveries that have benefited children worldwide. Its pediatric research program is among the largest in the country, ranking third in National Institutes of Health funding. In addition, its unique family-centered care and public service programs have brought the 430-bed hospital recognition as a leading advocate for children and adolescents. For more information, visit http://www.chop.edu.