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Ford Promotes Its Safe Teen Driving Campaign

Among Dealers Throughout the USA

(January 31, 2004)

LAS VEGAS, Nev., Jan. 31, 2004 - Ford Motor Company's North American dealers got a lesson in safe driving today at the National Automobile Dealers Association convention as they participated in a clinic to educate dealers on ways to promote safe driving for teenagers in their communities. Traffic accidents are the number-one killer of teens in America and Ford Motor Company has joined forces with the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to deliver a multi-year, educational campaign called Real World Driver: Driving Skills for Life to high school students nationwide.

The Real World Driver program includes a teacher's guide, video and other materials that have been distributed to every public high school in the country. In addition to these materials, there is also an interactive web site – www.realworlddriver.com -- that gives students and parents more information about driving skills and provides visitors the opportunity to take a quiz online for a chance to win exciting prizes.

"Unfortunately, car crashes remain the number one killer of teens," Susan Cischke, Ford Motor Company Vice President, Environmental and Safety Engineering told the dealers at the NADA briefing. "Yet most of the crashes and resulting injuries and deaths could be prevented if teenagers better understood the necessary skills for safely driving motor vehicles and protected themselves by wearing their safety belt. Real World Driver has been designed to illustrate for young drivers safe driving techniques in key areas that safety experts say are of particular importance to novice drivers."

According to data from NHTSA, more than 6,000 teens die each year from injuries resulting from car crashes – making car crashes the number one killer of teens in America. Yet a national survey by Wirthlin Worldwide shows that many people underestimate the challenges novice drivers face. When asked, 56 percent of Americans named drug abuse as the leading health threat teenagers face, with only 13 percent identifying teen driving crashes as the number one threat.

To design the Real World Driver program, Ford and GHSA convened a distinguished panel of safety experts that included representatives from NHTSA, the International Association of Chiefs of Police Highway Safety Committee and Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD). According to the Real World Driver Advisory Board, the four key driving skills young drivers should master are: hazard recognition, vehicle handling, space management and speed management.

• Hazard Recognition: Recognizing and anticipating hazards, such as distractions and intersections, and dealing with them successfully. Safe techniques for approaching and turning left at intersections are examples of what is addressed.

• Vehicle Handling: Learning how to handle different vehicles competently under a range of driving circumstances and maneuvers. Vehicle balance, type and braking are all covered.

• Space Management: Maintaining safe spacing with other traffic and managing space in an emergency. This section addresses the importance of positioning your vehicle safely in traffic.

• Speed Management: Driving at speeds that are right for conditions and maintaining control in dangerous situations such as skids. Issues addressed are centered on knowing the road, letting others know your intentions and knowing how to react to other drivers' actions.

"Our Advisory Board identified specific items, like left turns, that can turn deadly for teens due to their lack of awareness and experience in those areas," Cischke said. "Real World Driver's goal is to turn these four areas into four 'driving skills for life' by focusing on the skills that are most likely to prevent crashes and save teens' lives. But awareness is only part of the solution. There is no substitute for behind-the-wheel training and practice."

Ford partnered with GHSA, which represents state highway safety offices, to ensure that Real World Driver is promoted in states and local communities.

"We're excited to partner with Ford on this program and hope it will help states raise awareness of the teen driving issue as they work to strengthen their graduated driver's licensing laws," said GHSA Board Member and Director of the Nevada Office of Traffic Safety Charles Abbott. "We are also optimistic that Real World Driver will encourage teens to get more actual driving time with a focus on specific driving skills."

Ford, GHSA and other safety experts agree that the sensible way for teens to learn driving is to phase them into it. Most states now have graduated driver's licensing (GDL) laws that do just that – restrict driving in risky times and under risky circumstances until responsible performance is demonstrated over a period of time. Ford and GHSA support graduated driving laws, and hope Real World Driver will help augment them by offering guidance to parents and teens on what skills should be learned and practiced.

Wirthlin's research also indicated that just 11 percent of parents and 12 percent of all adults are satisfied with the training resources available to first-time drivers. Moreover, nearly all parents (94 percent) are concerned about their teens driving independently.

"Real World Driver is a youth-friendly, comprehensive tool for young drivers to use as an enhancement to their driver education," said Ashley Conners, SADD 2002-2003 Student of the Year and former SADD President at Foothill High School in Las Vegas. "It is great to see companies and organizations using teenagers to make a difference in the attitudes and knowledge of their peers."

While hands-on, behind-the-wheel training and educational materials are important elements of any safe driving program, Cischke reminds all drivers that safety belts continue to provide the single, most effective protection in any vehicle crash.

"Parents should insist that their teenagers buckle up," Cischke said. "The safety belt is the single best way to avoid getting hurt in a crash."

Dealers who would like to obtain more information about the program and how they can assist in partnership with the Ford Motor Company and Governors Highway Safety Association can log onto the official website -- www.realworlddriver.com.

[Source:  Ford press release]