For Parents and Teens Just in Time for PROM

TEENS CAN TURN TO WEB
FOR TIPS TO BECOME BETTER DRIVERS;
MOMS AND DADS CAN LEARN SOMETHING, TOO

Driving Skills For Life

DEARBORN, Mich., May 7, 2007 – In this season when many teens are concentrating on proms or graduation, parents are more likely to focus on keeping their teenagers safe on the road.

They have reason to worry: During a typical prom weekend, nearly 300 teens die in alcohol-related crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). NHTSA also reports that one in five 16-year-old drivers experiences a collision in their first year of driving, and nearly 6,000 teens die annually in automobile crashes in the United States.

This year, Ford Motor Company is working to help teens become better drivers by turning to the Web. Ford is now offering safe driving tips in video format on popular Web sites like www.youtube.com, www.tubearoo.com, in addition to Ford's interactive teen safe driving Web site, www.drivingskillsforlife.com.

The short video spots provide a variety of driving tips to both teens and adults, and feature professional instructors from Ford's Driving Skills for Life “ride-and-drive” events. They teach teens what to do if passenger-side wheels leave the roadway, how to recover in a skid, how to sit properly for safe driving, how to aggressively brake safely, how to anticipate danger, and when it's important to slow down.

“We're turning to the Web because that's where teens live, and where they get much of their information,” said Sue Cischke, vice president, Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering, Ford Motor Company. “We want the video spots to get teens thinking about safe driving, and we think the tips can be valuable for adults, as well.”

Cischke said that the best way for teens to learn safe driving is to get behind the wheel with an experienced driver – a driving instructor or parent – who can share their knowledge first hand.

“The best thing both teens and adults can do to remain safe is to buckle up, and avoid alcohol while driving. Research into driving related injuries and fatalities clearly demonstrates that,” Cischke said. “We're proud that our safe driving program has helped many teens return home safely, and we want to spread our safe driving message any way we can.”

Ford's Driving Skills for Life helps young drivers improve their skills in four key areas that are critical factors in more than 60 percent of teen vehicle crashes: hazard recognition, vehicle handling, space management and speed management. Ford will continue to hold several hands-on driving safety events across the United States, and provide free educational materials to high schools around the country.

Established in 2003 by Ford Motor Company and the Governors Highway Safety Association, Driving Skills for Life provides effective learning tools, including the comprehensive interactive Web site that rewards students for taking the initiative to learn safe driving techniques. In addition, educator materials are available at no charge in both English and Spanish, allowing instruction of the program in school or community settings. Driving Skills for Life has staged hands-on driving events that have reached nearly 6,000 students. The program also combines learning materials for use by students, parents, educators, and instructors for use at home, in schools and community settings.

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