Legislation was recently introduced to the state Assembly to declare the week of April 14 as Teen Driving Safety Week in California

The resolution is being introduced in conjunction with Impact Teen Drivers, a new public awareness and education program created by the Californian Association of Highway Patrolmen, the California Teachers Association and California Casualty, a statebased insurance company. Working closely with the organization is Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell.

"In California 77 percent of the 16yearold drivers in accidents are at fault. Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death of teens, accounting for 40 percent of all teen deaths. One in 13 drivers has an accident in his or her first year of driving. The sad statistics go on, and it's time to change that," said state Assemblymember Pedro Nava (D-Oxnard) who introduced the legislation.

The program's first effort will be the distribution of Impact Teen Drivers classroom materials on April 14. The materials include a campaign booklet, a series of posters to display in classrooms, a DVD with short features about the consequences of distracted driving and other items.

Impact Teen Drivers will soon launch a website with resources for teachers, interactive elements and videos for teens, tips for parents and an interactive wall for people to create their own memorials to remember friends lost in accidents.