• Know the Risks
    • Teen Driver Risks
      • Distracted Driving
      • Nighttime and Drowsy Driving
      • Speeding and Street Racing
      • Low Safety Belt Use
      • Impaired Driving
    • Teen Passenger Risks
      • Keep the Driver Distraction Free
      • Help Keep the Driver Alert and Awake at Night
      • Know Why Speeding is Dangerous and Reckless
      • Always Wear a Seat Belt
      • Steer Clear of Impaired Drivers
    • Respect the Rig Truck and Bus Safety
      • Big Rig Events
    • Rail Safety
    • Pedestrian & Bicycle Safety
    • External Links and Resources
  • Be Involved
    • Learn How to Start TDS
    • Sign Up Your School / Request Virtual Access
    • Event / Activity Form for All-Star Points
    • @TeensDriverSeat Takeover
    • Be a Teen Influencer
    • Apply to Be a Teen Advisory Board Member
    • Take the Pledge to Keep Our Drive Alive
    • Find Your Regional Representative
  • Take Action
    • Get Activity Ideas
    • Download Activity Items, Posters, and More
    • See and Share Videos
    • #BeTheChange with Tyson Dever
    • Find Speakers and Educators
    • Teens in the Driver Seat in Georgia
    • Teens in the Driver Seat in Colorado
  • Events & Contests
    • Events Calendar
    • All-Star Reward Program
      • Event / Activity Form for All-Star Points
      • TDS All-Stars Leaderboard
      • All-Stars Distractions Unit
      • All-Stars Nighttime Drowsy Driving Unit
      • All-Stars Speeding Unit
      • All-Stars Seat Belts Unit
      • All-Stars Share the Road Unit
      • All-Stars Impaired Unit
    • Big Rig Events
    • Driving the Message Contest
    • Extra Mile Senior Activity
    • Youth Transportation Safety Summit
    • Social Media Teen Influencer
    • SponStar Awards
      • Teacher Discounts
    • Teen Advisory Board
      • Teen Advisory Board Application
    • Track-A-Thon Contest
    • Zero Hero
  • You in the Driver Seat App
  • About Us
    • News
    • Contact Us
    • Where We Are and Your Regional Representative
    • Partners
    • Private Partnering Opportunities
    • Donate
    • History and Recognition
    • 20 Year Report Card
  • Login

Teens in the Driver Seat

A peer-to-peer safe driving program for your school.

Text iDrive to 1-888-825-1346 for TDS and safety text messages.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

September 17, 2020

General Motors Continues Support to Teens in the Driver Seat

General Motors has again let teens know they care about their safety behind the wheel with a continuation and expansion of their grant to Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s Teens in the Driver Seat® (TDS) Program.

This will be the second year of partnering and will support ongoing outreach efforts in Texas, where TDS was born, as well as Georgia, California, and Colorado. The grant will also help TDS continue outreach in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Missouri, and Tennessee and will provide new programming support in Kentucky, New York, and Arizona.

The objective of all YTS program elements is to leverage the influence peers have with each other to increase awareness of the primary teen driving risks or behaviors — distraction caused by electronic devices and other young passengers, driving at night/driver fatigue, speeding, lack of seat belt use, and driving impaired by alcohol and/or other drugs — as well as their inexperience in the driving environment and how to take action to protect themselves.

The effectiveness of the TDS program in raising teen awareness of the top driving risks, seat belt and cell phone use, and transporting their peers, along with the program’s impact on reducing the frequency of teen driver crashes was assessed through peer-reviewed research conducted by Texas A&M Transportation Institute staff. The analysis found significant gains in awareness and reductions in risky behaviors, along with a nearly 15 percent reduction in teen driver crashes (Geedipally et al., 2012). As a result, TDS has been honored with numerous national awards and recognized as a best safety practice for over a decade.

One of the hallmarks of the program is capturing measurable outcomes to demonstrate the effectiveness of its sponsors’ investments. For the GM grant, the short-term outcomes are to

  • Increase the awareness and knowledge of effective vehicle and road safety practices;
  • Increase teen knowledge of teen traffic safety issues, methods and resources;
  • Increase the rates of observed teen seat belt use; and
  • Decrease the rates of teens driving while using electronic devices, such as cellphones.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)

Article by Stacey Tisdale / News / general motors, partners

More Ways for Teens to Be Involved

  • Teen Advisory Board
  • Extra Mile! Senior Activity
  • You in the Driver Seat Safe Driving App
  • Teen of the Month
  • Driving the Message Poster & Video Contest
  • Take the Pledge to Keep Our Drive Alive
  • Safe Driving Summit

Copyright © 2023 Texas A&M Transportation Institute

All rights reserved. Privacy Policy.
Comments, suggestions or queries? Contact Us!


Youth Transportation Safety Program
c/o Texas A&M Transportation Institute
1100 NW Loop 410, Ste 605, San Antonio, TX 78213-2255
Ph: (210) 979-9411
Fax: (210) 321-1299

TTI Logo

Texas A&M University System
3135 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-3135
Ph: (979) 845-9008
Fax: (979) 845-9848

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)