Learning to drive and obtaining a driver's license is a major rite of passage for teens. It is a time of exciting possibilities. It is also a time of grave risk.
Studies show that teen driving is the leading cause of death for teenagers. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data show that more than 300,000 teens are injured in car crashes each year. Nearly 8,000 are involved in fatal crashes and more than 3,500 are killed. NHTSA research also shows that teen drivers are involved in more than five times as many fatal crashes as adults.
While these numbers are staggering, from 2000 to 2006, in Georgia alone 1,279 teenagers were killed in motor vehicle accidents.
The potential for teens to be involved in motor vehicle accidents increases exponentially during the summer months when teens and young adults are out of school. The Ad Council's Atlanta Leadership Committee and the Georgia chapter of SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) are working together to put the breaks on these alarming statistics by promoting the Ad Council's UR the Spokesperson campaign aimed at saving lives by reducing youth reckless driving.
With the message "Speak Up," the UR the Spokesperson campaign was designed to reach young adults between the age 15 and 21, encouraging them to speak up when they are in the car with friends and do not feel safe. The campaign seeks to increase awareness about the dangers of reckless driving and educate teens on how to be safer drivers by focusing on safe speeds, avoiding distractions, wearing seat belts, and the differences associated with driving SUVs.
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The most recent round of TV PSAs was created for our Fight Arthritis Pain campaign. One in five adults in the United States (46 million people) has arthritis and an estimated 67 million people will be affected by 2030. This PSA campaign features fun ways that people can integrate movement into their lives. The PSAs instill a sense of hope for those who have this disease by communicating that "moving is the best medicine."
More than 35.7 million adults ages 18-64 do not have a high school diploma. Data shows that students who drop out of high school tend to earn less, perform less well in society, and have a lower quality of life. Many of these adults lacking a high school diploma must work multiple jobs just to support their family. Without a GEDŽ Diploma, they get the lowest paid and the least stable jobs, and while they know they need to get their GED Diploma, what they really need are simple directions on how to get started. 
