By Julia Fairclough

Car accidents are the leading cause of death among teenagers, which is why Congressman Mike Capuano has introduced legislation to create programs for teen traffic safety initiatives.
The Students Taking Action for Road Safety (STARS) Act would establish a grant program within the Department of Transportation focusing on teen driver safety. While a number of safety programs have been created for bicyclists, motorcyclists, older drivers and infant passengers, a dedicated program for younger drivers—who are three times as likely to die in a car accident as all other driving populations—does not exist, according to Capuano.
“Programming targeting our young people which will help them develop safe driving skills is long overdue,” he said.
The STARS Act will create a grant program for states to establish teen traffic safety initiatives. The state grants would support training and technical assistance to help schools and communities either establish new programming or expand existing programming. Funding will also be available to establish a technical assistance center and clearinghouse for state and local officials, student leaders and educators.
The legislation establishes a National Teen Driver Advisory Council to develop an education and prevention strategy for reducing injuries and fatalities for teen drivers. The council will also serve as a forum for teen drivers, officials and traffic experts to develop methods of reducing traffic-related injuries and fatalities among youth.
What Capuano likes most is that the program is peer-based.
“Teens don’t listen to adults who lecture them,” he said. “I have found that peer education and support works the best.”
It was the Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) group that suggested the program, Capuano said. SADD members claim that especially during the summertime, teens are in danger of getting into deadly accidents. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports more driving-related deaths in the summer months than in any other season of the year, SADD reported in a press release posted at http://www.sadd.org/.
According to a national study of more than 2,500 eleventh and twelfth graders conducted by Liberty Mutual Insurance and SADD, only nine percent of teens believe that summer driving comes with a high degree of danger. The new Liberty Mutual/SADD research also indicates that the majority of teens (55 percent) believe they or their peers are more likely to drink and drive during the summer.
Technology plays a huge role in driver safety issue, as 33 percent of teens in the study admitted to text messaging while driving, 28 percent to talking on a phone, and 37 percent said to changing songs on an MP3 player.
Somerville School Superintendent Tony Pierantozzi said that efforts like Capuano’s legislation are paramount in keeping teens who drive safe. He also likes the peer-based approach.
“Our youth must take being in a motor vehicle seriously as it is a serious activity,” Pierantozzi said. “The strength of the bill is the collaboration needed to pass the message.”
While Somerville public schools no longer offers drivers education, an adult education course is offered at the high school a couple nights a week for a fee.
In Somerville, a densely populated city, fewer teens drive than in the suburbs. But city officials still keep educate the community during critical times, like prom season, Pierantozzi said.
For example, last spring, Somerville High School hosted a forum (inviting the surrounding cities of Everett, Malden, and Cambridge) about teen driver safety during prom season.
A companion bill will be introduced in the Senate by Senators Klobuchar and Dorgan. Congressman Capuano’s legislation has been referred to the House Committee on Transportation.