WESTERLY, RI - In an effort to help educate young drivers and prevent distracted driving accidents, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) today joined with U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, federal, state, and local officials at a safe driving forum at Westerly High School.

Nationwide, nearly 6,000 people were killed and 500,000 injured in crashes involving distracted drivers in 2008 according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Younger, inexperienced drivers under 20 years of age have the highest proportion of distraction-related fatal crashes.

Secretary LaHood is leading a nationwide effort to crack down on distracted driving, particularly talking on cell phones and texting behind the wheel.

"Distracted driving is an emerging epidemic. This is a critical safety issue, and I applaud Secretary LaHood for spearheading this initiative and bringing it directly to young people in Rhode Island," said Reed.

Drivers who use handheld devices are four times as likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

"Kids today have more distractions behind the wheel from cell phones, Blackberries, iPods, and GPS devices. Education campaigns about the importance of buckling up and the dangers of drunk driving have had a positive effect and we need to undertake a similar campaign to reduce distracted driving," stated Reed, who noted that thanks to widespread education efforts, alcohol-related traffic fatalities decreased nearly 50% since 1980. "If we can cut the number of distracted driving fatalities in half we can save 3,000 lives a year."

"We can pass tough laws, but ultimately young people themselves are able to make the biggest difference. Young drivers are more likely to listen to their friends and we need to change attitudes and behavior to make distracted driving a social taboo," concluded Reed. "Ultimately, this is about making our community a safer place."