The Cool Way to Learn
Motor vehicle crashes are the number one killer of 15- to 20-year-olds. They kill more than 6,300 teens a year and injure more than 600,000. With the help of AAA's publication, The Cool Way to Learn, parents can take an active role in their teens driver education.
The 60-page booklet focuses on two issues: New drivers need more behind-the-wheel time with adult supervision; and controlling the keys to the family car can make a difference. The Cool Way to Learn includes practice, training and survival tips for parents and their new teen drivers.

The Cool Way to Learn booklet contains a parent/teen agreement and a student driving log. The packet also includes a pen and key chain. The package is available to AAA Southern New England members for just $6.95, and can be obtained by sending a check to AAA Public Affairs, 110 Royal Little Drive, Providence, R.I., 02904.

Teen Crash Statistics Motor vehicle pileups are responsible for nearly one-third of teen deaths, more than: cancer homicide suicide AIDS non-vehicle injuries Other alarming statistics from 1999: 8,175 15- to 20-year-old drivers were involved in fatal crashes. young drivers age 15-20 were involved in 1,964,000 police- reported crashes in 1999.

New Drivers
Novice drivers are more likely to be killed in crashes than adults. In fact, the per-mile fatality rate for 16-year-olds is approximately 10 times that of adults.

• New drivers learn both good and bad driving habits mostly through experience.
• Novice drivers are less likely to stay focused, scan the surroundings effectively, identify potential hazards early, and make tough decisions quickly.
• Teen drivers perceive less risk in specific violations and dangerous situations, but more risk in relatively routine situations.
• Novice drivers usually drive too fast and too close to others, have unrealistic confidence in their own abilities, and leave inadequate safety margins in traffic.
• Teen drivers are less likely to wear their safety belts because they don't view preventive measures as important.
• Teen drivers are more likely to get in a crash when drinking and driving because their lack of experience behind the wheel cannot compensate for their impaired senses and judgment.
• Teens are more likely to overload a car, leading to high fatalities in a crash. Sixty-three percent of fatally injured teen passengers were killed in cars driven by other teens.
• Peer pressure and driver overconfidence lead teens to believe risky driving is rewarding and cool.

A Crash Course in Crash Prevention
Experience the thrill of driving on your PC! Full-screen, full-motion, live-action video puts you in the driver's seat! You'll use your eyes and brain to spot trouble before it happens. Spot all the risks and handle them right, and you'll score a perfect 100. But watch out — it's harder than you think!
Teens: $29.95 Adults: $34.95

Teaching Your Teens to Drive: A Partnership for Survival
Driving is a complex and often demanding task, even for the best of drivers. A safe driver must control a vehicle; comply with traffic laws and regulations; constantly monitor traffic conditions; watch the behavior of other drivers; keep an eye out for children, pedestrians, animals and cyclists; and maneuver in all kinds of weather and road conditions. And these are just the routine requirements.

AAA's Teaching Your Teens to Drive: A Partnership for Survival program helps parents provide supervised driving experience to novice drivers. The program materials include a colorfully illustrated handbook and live-action video. An interactive CD-ROM is available as well.

Through the interactive CD-ROM or the 60-minute video, coupled with the handbook, parents can help their new drivers develop the following skills:

• Basic vehicle control
• Positioning and speed adjustment
• Passing and off-road maneuvers
• Visual search habits
• Freeway and night driving
• Driving on slippery surfaces
• Reducing risks

Any of the Teaching Your Teens To Drive materials are available to AAA Southern New England members and can be purchased for $29.95 by calling the AAA Public Affairs department at (401) 868-2000.

Effects of aging vary from person to person. But few older drivers have reflexes as sharp as those of a 25-year-old. Frequently mentioned descriptions of problems with older drivers include:
Maintaining proper speed or slowing unexpectedly.

• Failing to check mirrors and other lanes.
• Demonstrating uncertainty in unfamiliar areas.
• Inability to make decisions and react as quickly as other drivers.
• Having energy and physical freedom to cope with and resolve conflicts.
• Recognizing new traffic signs, signals and road markings and adjusting to different traffic patterns and roadway designs.

But older drivers have one great advantage: experience. The longer you drive, the more you learn about what to do — and what not to do — on the road. What you lack in quick reflexes, you can make up in sound judgment.

The following are suggestions that can help mature motorists drive more safely and with increased confidence:

• Physical problems that interfere with driving ability should be reported to your doctor. Hearing aids and eye glasses can help compensate for hearing loss or weakened vision.
• A regular exercise program is one way to tune up your body and improve overall physical — and mental — fitness.
• Carefully selecting driving routes also can improve performances on the highway. Older drivers should choose routes that provide ample lighting, well-marked streets, easy-to-read road signs and easy-to-reach parking places. Also look for roads less traveled — where traffic is light during off-peak hours.
• AAA offers driver improvement courses. The courses update drivers on current driving practices. Many states, including Rhode Island but not Massachusetts, offer insurance discounts for those over age 55 completing state-sanctioned driving courses.

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