Las Vegas NowAllstate Offers Teen Driving Course

Allstate Offers Teen Driving Course

Car crashes are the number one killer of teens, even more than drugs or alcohol. In Las Vegas, more teens have already died behind the wheel this year than all of last year.

The U.S. Department of Transportation says every year, 4,000 teens die in car crashes across the country.

To show teens the dangers of texting while driving, Allstate Insurance brought a distracted drivers course to the Las Vegas Speedway. The teens had to drive through a course and try to text, eat, change radio stations and drive with their friends in the car. Cameras fell, tires screeched, cones were crushed, and teen squealed as they attempted to drive while texting, eating, and dealing with rowdy passengers.

In their own cars, students from Faith Lutheran High School learned first-hand about the dangers of being a distracted driver. As Allstate instructors explained how the course works, Joi Goynes clutched to her iPhone. She's 16 and has had her license for about a month. She admits to texting and driving.

Goynes swerved all over the road as she tried to pick something up that fell on the ground. She and others teens say the course was an eye-opener. “It just shows that you need to have your phone out while driving and be really careful with friends in your car because its things like this that make people get into crashes,” said Lauren Hayes.

Mom Angela Stevens rode along with her daughter. She's didn't know her teen used her cell phone while driving until she was caught red handed. “She drove thru the intersection texting at the same time and at the intersection was my mother,” she said.

Parents and instructors say their hope is that this teaches teens and adults that dropping the cell phone and iPod and help save lives.

A new study out this year shows as a parent, you can reduce the chances of your child getting into an accident by up to 70-percent. So Allstate instructors encourage parents to talk to their teens about these issues.