简介:在美国，每年有大约5000青少年由于驾车经验不足或开车时分心而死于车祸事故。

They are scenes repeated too often in America - memorials and tears for teen drivers killed in traffic accidents.

Each year, some 5,000 teens die on the nation's roadways, victims of inexperience and distraction.

Still, for 15-year-old Jessie Goodwin, having her second driving lesson in suburban Dallas, the odds of surviving her teen driving years are better than ever.

While fatal accidents involving teenaged drivers are falling nationwide, in Texas they've dropped at twice the national rate, down 33 percent in just five years.

Here, after completing driver training Goodwin will get what's called a graduated license at 16. For the first six months, the license restricts her from driving with more than one friend in the car or after midnight or using a cell phone.

Texas, of course, isn't the only state with a driver's training requirement or graduated licenses for teens. In fact, all states have some version of the program. But here, they go a step further.

A new study credits a public awareness campaign called "Teens in the Drivers Seat" with lowering the fatality rate for teen drivers in Texas.

The campaign reaches 250,000 kids in 300 schools and uses positive peer pressure to deliver safe driving messages.

"Kids value their friends' opinion sometimes more than their parents because everyone wants to be cool, I guess," said 17-year-old Tim Trieu.

Other states hope to copy the Texas program - and its success making teens safer behind the wheel.

词汇

memorial: 纪念物;纪念碑;纪念馆;纪念活动
The service is a memorial to those killed in the war.
祈祷仪式是为纪念在战争中牺牲的人。

odds: 机会,可能性;成功的可能性[(+on/against)][+(that)]
His odds were very poor after he sprained his wrist.
他扭伤了手腕,获胜的可能性极小。
The odds are that our team will win.
我们队大概会赢。
The odds are against us.
我们成功的机会很小.

fatality: (因意外事故的)死亡;死者;死亡事故;灾祸[C]
It was a bad crash, but surprisingly there were no fatalities.
这是一起严重的相撞事故,但却意外地无一死亡。