BILL NUMBER: HR 24INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Galgiani FEBRUARY 9, 2010 Relative to Teen Driving Safety Week. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST HOUSE OR SENATE RESOLUTIONS DO NOT CONTAIN A DIGEST WHEREAS, Law enforcement and other first responders, teachers, parents, and friends are all deeply impacted by the loss of teens from vehicle accidents on California's roadways; and WHEREAS, Drivers in California between 15 and 19 years of age are at least three times more likely to be in a fatal vehicle collision than drivers 30 years of age and older; and WHEREAS, There is no in-car driver training in California's high schools and even though driver's education is required as part of California's public education curricula, only about one-third of the high schools actually offer it due to budget and staff limitations; and WHEREAS, A 16-year-old soccer player has had about 1,500 hours of coached soccer practice, but only 50 hours of driving practice before getting his or her driver's license; and WHEREAS, Seventy-seven percent of the 16-year-old drivers killed in traffic accidents in California were at fault; and WHEREAS, Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death of teens, accounting for 40 percent of all teen deaths; and WHEREAS, The majority of crashes involving teen drivers in the United States are due to driver distractions and speeding, and 15 percent of the crashes are due to drunken driving; and WHEREAS, Despite the fact that California has the highest rate of seat belt usage in the nation, 37 percent of the 16-year-old passengers who died in traffic collisions in California were not wearing their seat belts; and WHEREAS, Approximately two-thirds of the deaths of teen passengers, aged 13 to 19 years, occur when other teenagers are driving; and WHEREAS, One in three teen drivers has an accident in his or her first year of driving; and WHEREAS, It is necessary to raise awareness, reach teens, parents, and teachers, and influence change in risky teen driving behavior in order to reduce the number of teens killed on California's roadways each year; now, therefore, be it Resolved, by the Assembly of the State of California, That the week of March 21, 2010, be declared "Teen Driving Safety Week" and that the State of California observe this week, with the help of law enforcement organizations, teachers, parents, students, and the IMPACT Teen Driver's Campaign, with appropriate activities that promote the practice of safe driving among teenage drivers; and be it further Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.