10/17/2023
Ellen Mattila
ITD Communication
208-832-8776
ellen.mattila@itd.idaho.gov
ITD reaches out to Swifties with safe driving PSA
BOISE- It’s National Teen Driver Safety Week! The week serves as an opportunity for parents and teens to talk about safe driving habits. This year during Teen Driver Safety Week and beyond the Idaho Transportation Department’s (ITD) Office of Highway Safety (OHS) is bringing a safe driving message to one of the most powerful young demographics- Swifties.
Idaho moviegoers to Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour will have the chance to catch a new T-Swift-themed public service announcement (PSA) before the show and matching signs in theater lobbies. The PSA features friendship bracelets that have become iconic among Swift fans and concertgoers. The bracelets say “Drive safe. Be here for all your eras.”
“Teens are 2.5 times more likely to crash than any other age group, so it’s really important to find creative ways to reach them,” said Highway Safety Manager Josephine Middleton. “We can also help teens become better drivers by modeling engaged driving behavior all the time. That means seat belt on, phone down, and driving the speed limit.”
Here are some things to keep in mind for teen drivers and parents alike:
- Developing brains: Teens' brains are still growing, which means they have a harder time assessing risk than adults. In Idaho, some of the top contributing crash factors for teens are speeding, following too close, inattention, distracted driving and impaired driving.
- Developing skills: Learning to drive doesn’t end when you pass your driver's test. It is a set of skills that will continue to grow your whole life. Failing to yield or obey stop signs, improper lane change, improper turns and improper backing are just some of the skill issues involved in teen crashes in Idaho.
More resources to help talk to teens about safe driving, including a safety pledge, are available at shift-idaho.org/teen-driving/.