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"One of the 10 finalists in the 2013 Teens Drive Smart Video Contest, Natalie Barrios, comes from Southwest Florida and is a senior at FGCU majoring in English. We, at Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., applaud Natalie's effort in making this very impressive video, Safe Driver" and join her in her effort to keep teens safe on the road,"said Attorney Randall Spivey. 

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, although teenagers drive fewer miles than older drivers, their crash and death rates are proportionally higher. Fatality Facts 2011 states that in the United States, the fatal vehicle crash rate per mile driven was three times more for teenage drivers 16-19 than drivers over 20. 

Why do teens crash so often?

Besides speed, driving at night and not wearing seatbelts, distracted driving is one of the top reasons for teenage accidents.  Just driving a friend or friends home increases the risk of teen accidents.  TeenDriverSource.org says that driving one friend home or to the movies doubles the possibility of a crash.  With two or more friends in the car, the accident rate potential actually triples.   

Cell phones represent another major threat.  Making and receiving phone calls is a major part of a teen or young adult's life.  They need to "stay connected" all the time. This time of "staying connected" goes from home or school into the vehicle and often creates a recipe for disaster.

Teens and young adults are also highly influenced by peer pressure.  This is why the "Teens Drive Smart Program" of Bridgestone Americas encourages teens and young adults between the ages of 16 and 21 to influence one another by creating videos on the importance of safe driving and submitting them to the 2013 Teens Drive Smart Video Contest.  1,807 videos were submitted this year from across the United States, only 10 of the most compelling videos were selected by the judges. 

Angela Patterson, Manager of the Teens Drive Smart Program said, "We were impressed with the quality of videos submitted to the contest this year.  Through these creative and inspiring videos, teens are encouraging each other to be safe, focused drivers.  Our second annual Teens Drive Smart survey revealed young drivers are aware that driving distracted is dangerous, yet they are still participating in these distractions behind the wheel.  The Teens Drive Smart Video Contest provides an effective platform for teens to educate one another on the perils of distracted driving."     

In Bridgestone's press release they said that the top three finalists with the most votes from the public will be eligible to win $50,000 in scholarships and the chance to have his or her video aired as a public service announcement (PSA) on television stations nationwide.

Fort Myers Personal Injury Lawyer, Randall L. Spivey is a Board Certified Civil Trial Attorney – the highest recognition for competence bestowed by the Florida Bar and a distinction earned by less than 2 percent of Florida attorneys. He has handled over 1,600 personal injury and wrongful death cases throughout Florida. For a free and confidential consultation to discuss your legal rights, contact the Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., in Lee County at  239. 337.7483 or toll free at 1.888.477.4839, or by email to Randall@SpiveyLaw.com.  Visit SpiveyLaw.com  for more information. You can contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. in Charlotte County at 941.764.7748 and in Collier County 239.793.7748.