AAA's School Safety Patrol

The AAA School Safety Patrol is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year. As the largest safety program in the world, the AAA School Safety Patrol equips students with the skills and resources needed to ensure children commute to and from school safely. Today, the program includes 585,000 members in 30,000 schools across the U.S. In 1949, AAA established the AAA Lifesaving Medal to recognize the heroics of Safety Patrollers who saved a life during their patrol duties. Since then, AAA has documented 392 lives saved through the community service program.

The AAA School Safety Patrol not only contributes to lower pedestrian injuries and fatalities, but helps develop leadership skills within its members. The patrol also was a starting point for many of our nation's leaders, with former members who include presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, Vice President Joe Biden and several Supreme Court justices, U.S. senators, governors and U.S. Olympic gold medalists.

• 2010 AAA Lifesaver and Patroller of the Year Awards
• Former AAA School Safety Patrol Members
• 90th Anniversary Fact Sheet
• AAA School Safety Patrol Video
• AAA School Safety Patrol on Flickr

Your Driving Costs

With gasoline prices again nearing $3 a gallon in many parts of the country, the cost of driving is going up. But that's just one part of the vehicle-ownership equation. There also are insurance, maintenance, registration and other costs to consider, which begs the question: How much are you really paying to drive? With AAA's Your Driving Costs brochure, motorists can get a pretty good idea how much they're spending per mile, per day and even per year. In its 60^th year, the publication also offers maintenance and other tips to keep your vehicle running as efficiently as possible.

• 2010 Your Driving Costs - AAA's annual guide gives motorists the tools and advice needed to estimate the operating and ownership costs of their vehicles. Includes a worksheet for figuring your own costs.
• 2010 Gas Watcher's Guide - AAA's tips for conserving fuel, saving money and protecting the environment.

Protect The Family

To help educate the Hispanic community about traffic safety Laws in the U.S., AAA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have developed a bilingual poster titled "Protect the Family." Available in English and Spanish, the 11-inch by 17-inch poster offers the message that traffic safety is everyone's responsibility.

AAA's Rules of the Road

AAA and the Travel Channel have teamed up for a new reality TV series designed to find and "rehabilitate" some of the most awful drivers on the road. Premiering March 14 at 10 p.m. EDT, "America's Worst Driver" will visit eight American cities in search of the worst driver each has to offer. Nominated by friends and family, bad drivers will compete in various challenges, with those earning the distinction as the worst from each city watching as their personal vehicle is destroyed. Contestants then move onto the finale for a chance to redeem themselves behind the wheel and avoid earning the title of America's Worst Driver. AAA will provide contestants driver improvement courses and show viewers AAA's Rules of the Road for staying safe behind the wheel.

AAA Urges States to Ban Texting While Driving

With 2010 state legislative sessions convened across the country, AAA, as part of a nationwide campaign, is urging lawmakers to consider bans on text messaging by all drivers. As of May 5, 25 states and the District of Columbia had enacted laws addressing this dangerous behavior.

Based on ample research illustrating the severely degrading effect texting has on driving performance, AAA believes the practice presents a clear and persistent danger to everyone on the road.

As part of its Traffic Safety Culture Index released in 2009, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety showed that 21 percent of survey respondents admitted to texting while driving during the last month. Nonetheless, research consistently shows high public support for laws against this behavior, ranging from 80 percent to 97 percent.

To learn more about AAA's efforts to combat texting while driving and other driving distractions, contact your local AAA club.

• AAA Applauds DOT Secretary?s Announcement of Federal Ban on Texting While Driving for Commercial Motor Vehicle Operators (press release)
• AAA President and CEO Calls on Oklahoma Business Leaders to Mobilize Against Texting While Driving (press release); AAA President and CEO?s Remarks
• AAA Campaign Aims to Pass Texting While Driving Bans in All 50 States by 2013; Together with Foundation Launches 'Heads Up Driving Week' (press release)
• AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety?s Heads Up Driving Week page

Senior Drivers

At some point, we'll reach an age when physical limitations inhibit our ability to drive safely. Determining what to do then is a delicate issue filled with difficult decisions. Traditionally, information to help older drivers and their families during this time has been scarce - until now. AAA has launched AAASeniors.com, a Web site that offers extensive content, resources and tools related to senior mobility challenges to help extend safe driving while assisting in transitioning from driver to passenger.