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Backgrounder

Parents of Teen Drivers campaign

Road crashes are the single biggest killer of 15-19 year old New Zealanders. Data shows that New Zealands teen drivers are more at risk of having a serious crash in the first six to 12 months of driving solo on a Restricted licence than at any other time in their lives. In New Zealand too many of us assume that passing the Restricted driving test means a teenager is ready to go it alone. Passing the test is only a milestone on their journey to independence.

Our approach
The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) is launching a bold new campaign to improve the poor road safety record of teenage drivers in New Zealand. The campaign is targeted at parents of teen drivers. It will raise parents awareness of the specific risks that teens face during the Restricted phase. Many parents look forward to their teen getting their Restricted licence because they think that their job as a driving teacher (and taxi driver) is over, but they still have a vital role to play in keeping their teens safe on the road. Teaching teens to drive doesnt just involve practical skills. They also need to understand the mental skills and maturity required to be a safe driver. Things such as assessing yourself, reading the road environment, resisting peer pressure, managing distractions and planning ahead are all vital skills for safe driving. It might not feel like it at times, but parents still have a strong influence on their teenagers lives. The research on adolescent risk-taking highlights the important role that parents play in keeping teens safe. The campaign will support parents by providing practical advice and free tools via a dedicated new website - www.safeteendriver.co.nz aimed at helping parents to stay involved in their teens driving during this critical time. The website will be promoted to parents of teens on a Restricted licence through advertising on TV, online, print, radio and cinema. The ads are a funny take on how teaching a teen to drive can be difficult and challenging but with a clear safety message Dont bail out just yet, stay involved with your teen when theyre on a Restricted licence. A PR campaign, and an information pack for Principals, will also help raise awareness of teen crash risk and drive traffic to the website. The campaign acknowledges that relationships between parents and their teenagers can often be fraught. The NZTA has worked with leading teen psychologist Dr Ian Lambie to develop the tips and tools on the website which will help parents to talk to their teens about the risks without the conversation turning into a lecture or a shouting match.

The new website also complements the existing NZTA/ACC Practice programme for teens in the Learner licence phase, which encourages learner drivers to accumulate 120 hours of supervised driving. While the NZTA encourages young drivers to undertake formal driver education, the goal of 120 hours will only be achievable for most New Zealanders with the help of friends and family. In most cases, a parent will play the leading role. Overseas research suggests that crash rates among young drivers who complete 120 hours of driving practice in a range of conditions and situations before they start to drive alone are 40% lower than for young drivers who complete only 50 hours of supervised practice. The NZTA is currently working to introduce a tougher restricted licence practical driving test from February 2012, in order to further reinforce the need for 120 hours of supervised practice. In addition to this, other pending changes to improve the safety of young drivers, as outlined in the governments Safer Journeys road safety strategy, include raising the driving age to 16 and a zero alcohol limit for the under 20s. All parents want to keep their kids safe, but they need support to teach their teens the right skills at the right time to stay safe on the road. Thats why the NZTA has created the

www.safeteendriver.co.nz website. We want parents and caregivers to stay involved with teens
as they work their way through the Graduated Driver Licensing System.

Dont bail out just yet

The TV advertising launches on Sunday 5 June 2011, which is why this information is embargoed until then. As new work is launched it will immediately be loaded on to the advertising section of the NZTA website. You can keep up to date with all new material by checking www.nzta.govt.nz/about/advertising. Enclosed is a copy of the television commercial, and the following page outlines how the campaign will reach its target audience.

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