President's Message

Coming Soon: Fewer Auto Crashes

Forget about the new Harry Potter sequel. The hottest ticket in town this summer is AAA’s Dare to Prepare driving workshop. Yes, I am biased. But the amount of interest Arizonans are showing in the workshop tells me we’re on to something.

Dare to Prepare is for pre-permit drivers and their anxious parents. Participants get a comprehensive look at Arizona driver licensing requirements and tools available to assist in new driver training. Within 48 hours of announcing the first workshop date, we were booked. We opened up a second and third date. Those filled up, too.

Meantime, in May, the Arizona Legislature approved the Teenage Driver Safety Act, legislation that was spearheaded by AAA and supported by 27 other organizations and agencies committed to keeping our roadways safer. Governor Napolitano signed it in to law on May 14. 

We know teen drivers have more auto crashes than do adult drivers. We know that, each year, more than 100 Arizona teens die in crashes. We also know that, in Arizona, almost 75 percent of the people killed in crashes involving teen drivers are people other than the teen drivers themselves — people like you and me. I am convinced that the new licensing requirements, which take effect in July 2008, will save lives.

The new law increases the amount of training time teens must complete in order to qualify for a license, giving them more opportunity to learn from experienced drivers. The law also places restrictions on the number of passengers allowed and nighttime driving privileges for the first six months 16- and 17-year-olds have their license. Both restrictions are shown to reduce crashes by up to 30 percent in states that have implemented these regulations.

The goal of all this is to help teens become better drivers — sooner. My congratulations to Senator Barbara Leff, Senator Ron Gould, Representative John McComish and the other legislators who made this a top priority. And thanks to Governor Napolitano for signing the bill into law, allowing Arizona to join 45 other states that have already approved such measures.

Of course, the new law also requires more of you, the parents who hold the car keys. That’s where Dare to Prepare and other AAA programs come in.

Beyond providing an overview of Arizona licensing requirements, Dare to Prepare covers parent-teen contracts, driving logs and other tools useful in teaching teens the responsibility of driving. More details about the workshop and registration information are posted on AAA.com.

Soon, we also will announce details about Checkpoints, a new program that AAA has developed in partnership with the National Institutes of Health. The program helps parents stay involved with their teens throughout the learn-to-drive process.
Lawmakers, teens, parents, AAA — we all play a role in improving traffic safety in Arizona. Let’s keep working to lower the crash statistics, rather than become part of them.

P.S. Don’t wait until the law takes effect to put these restrictions in place with your teen. In addition to Checkpoints and Dare to Prepare, Learn more about the wealth of resources AAA has available at your fingerprints, including Driver-ZED, Teaching Your Teens to Drive, and more. Or call AAA Public Affairs at 602-650-2716 for more information.