Tag Archive: teen driver safety
Project Ignition Brings out the Best in Teen Driving Safety
June 3, 2011
Since 1983, the National Youth Leadership Council has strived to “create a more just, sustainable, and peaceful world with young people, their schools and their communities through service-learning.” They have been coordinating a lot of initiatives, research/leadership programs and professional development programs for over two decades now.
The one we will be focusing on is Project Ignition, which brings out the best in students, teachers and the community when it comes to creative service-learning programs designed to promote teen driver safety.
What is service-learning?
In their words, service-learning is “learning in action.” Creating a driving safety video about seat belt safety is a service. Sitting in front of a computer, watching that seat belt safety video is learning.
Service-learning is a method of teaching that puts the ball in the hands of the students, teachers and the community. With the freedom to create something based on things that they know their peers will learn from, regardless of the method of delivery, but also inclusive of things one might learn from a classroom creates a service-learning program that will be easier to comprehend. It is learning in action.
So what is Project Ignition, and how does it fit into all this?
Project Ignition is a service-learning grant program focused on providing high schools with great teen driver safety-focused service-learning ideas and giving them the spark necessary to get these ideas happen.
These ideas may engage students, teachers and the community to evaluate how they fit into the whole teen driver safety issue, and what can and must be done for them not only to be the cause of safety, but also influence attitudes and spread the overall message that not only do their peers care, but also the community. The impact of these ideas may change city policies; it may give students a platform for a dialogue with lawmakers they otherwise wouldn’t have got to; it may bring out stories from families of teen driving crashes; at the very least, these ideas might change minds.
The ripple effect achieved by these ideas is like throwing a boulder into a small pond.
What Project Ignition does to get these service-learning ideas started is provide a $2,000 grant for 25 selected schools which may enable the idea to become reality. But it doesn’t stop there: the 10 best out of the 25 schools selected stand a chance of becoming one of the Project Ignition National Leader Schools. Leader schools will be given the chance to expand their original campaign for a second year with a funding of $2,500, along with $5,000 to support their participation in the National Service-Learning Conference in 2012.
How do I get our school’s teen driver safety service-learning idea funded?
Project Ignition’s contact details are on the site. Application for becoming one of the 25 selected schools (in the US or Canada) is open in August, but interested parties may contact them as early as now. http://www.sfprojectignition.com/
Image: statefarm.com
Allstate Insurance Teen Driver Programs
January 20, 2011
Allstate is considered to be one of the largest insurers in the country. While they provide several types of insurance, their auto insurance has a few teen driver discounts and safe driving programs worth noting.
Allstate follows the belief that good driving behavior in teens is worth rewarding. They have several campaigns that help spread the message of safe driving operation, most of which are targeted at teens and their parents. Here are some of the discounts that are applicable for teens:
Good Student discount – Applicable for teens who are younger than 25 and are full-time students. Good grades may qualify them for a discount on their auto insurance.
Defensive Driver discount – Teens who show initiative by taking a state-approved defensive driving course will be able to receive a special discount on their auto insurance rate. To note, this does not apply to court-appointed classes.
Drive Wise campaign – The newest campaign that Allstate is promoting, the Drive Wise campaign, is an opt-in discount program targeted for drivers who know that they are already practicing safe driving habits. This is a great opportunity to save money, especially for teen drivers who are taught from the get-go that driving safe is the only way to drive. Over time, drivers may get UP TO 30% discount on their auto insurance premium. How Drive Wise works is a driver will agree to have the Drive Wise device installed in their vehicle. The device is different from a GPS device, in that it gauges driver performance based on mileage, driving time of the day, hard or extreme braking and maximum speed, instead of location. Once satisfactory performance conditions are met, the discounts are applied. The discount awarded will initially be 10% upon signing up for the campaign.
Allstate has found a way to reward their customers with incentives that translate to saving customers money. Allstate features several attractive discounts when it comes to auto insurance and promoting safe driver behavior. Developing and maintaining safe driving habits will always be a driver’s best form of insurance.
Learn more about vehicle safety features that may lower your teens auto insurance.
Five Important Reminders for Teen Drivers
January 3, 2011
Teaching teens how to drive is only the first step of becoming a safe driver. To become confident and competent behind the wheel it is important that they learn defensive driving strategies. Whether they have just received their license or have been driving for a year, defensive driving school is an opportunity to brush up on the rules of the road. Even though teens as new drivers are starting off fresh, as new learners, sometimes they need a little reminding.
Here are five important reminders for teen drivers:
- 1. Failing to prepare is preparing to fail. Surveys conducted by several driving safety organizations have yielded the same result: teen drivers think that they are better drivers than other drivers. Preparing to drive means preparing the vehicle for safety and mentally preparing the driver to be focused on driving, and nothing else, when a teen driver gets into the driver’s seat.
- 2. Seeing signs. Ever notice those things by the side of the road sometimes? Those are meant to be followed. Speed limits are put into place not by some arbitrary decision: road engineers have taken the time to study traffic flow in an area to determine by which speed it is best to drive at.
- 3. Undertakers love over takers. It’s easy for a teen driver to lose his or her cool when another driver cuts them off, or overtakes them. Some motorists go so far as driving fast to catch up to the drivers who did it to them. Simple advice: let them go on. It’s not a race and it’s not worth the risk of a ticket or crash.
- 4. Distraction is two letters away from destruction. A teen driver may feel that they can ABSOLUTELY do something else while driving, while statistics and surveys often prove otherwise. Surprisingly, teen drivers fail to acknowledge that having other teens in the car is one of the biggest distractions from driving. Eat/text/call/change tunes BEFORE starting the car.
- 5.Drinking, drugging and driving DO NOT mix. That goes with prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications that may impair driving ability too. Teen drivers often underestimate the effects of alcohol, and what they don’t know is, when they get a DUI, it haunts them for a long time. It follows them when they look for jobs; apply for scholarships or when they are going to pay for car insurance. Not to mention that it also puts themselves and other motorists at risk.
If you area teen or know a teen, share these important reminders for safe driving, Driver education is continuing education, especially during the teen years.
Teen Driver Safety Devices
November 9, 2010
No matter what rules or boundaries a parent may set for their teen driver, once that teen is out of sight, the parent has to rely on trust and faith that the teen will obey those rules. However teens are teens and a multitude of outside influences can act on them to prevent their adherence to the rules. Fortunately, there are new technologies and driver safety devices available that can allow a parent to monitor their teen’s driving habits and whereabouts at all times.
Here are a few of the existing technologies that help give parents peace of mind:
Sprint’s Family Locator / Verizon’s Chaperone – http://sfl.sprintpcs.com/finder-sprint-family/welcome.htm / http://products.verizonwireless.com/index.aspx?id=fnd_chaperone, additional charges to monthly plan
Teens always have their cell phone with them and, if the teen is using a Sprint or Verizon phone, there are extra services available that allow a parent to track their teen’s location via a phone or computer. This allows a parent to monitor whether or not the teen is where he or she said they would be.
The Determinator Ignition Interlock Device – http://www.stopdwi.com/, $1,595 + shipping and installation fees
This breathalyzer interlock system will prevent the car from starting if the teen’s Blood Alcohol Level is above the legal limit. While expensive, this device guarantees that a teen can never drive drunk and that peace of mind may be well worth the investment..
DriveCam: Teen Safe Driver Program package – http://www.drivecam.com/, $899 plus monthly fees/FREE if insurance is covered by American Family’s auto insurance
This in-car camera system records “risky driving behavior”and sends them to DriveCam for third-party assessment of a teen driver’s skills. The reports are then sent to parents, who can discuss the driving behavior with their teen. Cars insured with American Family’s auto insurance may sign up for the Teen Safe Driver Program, which offers the device/service for free. American Family also claims that footage taken from a car will not be used as evidence and belongs to the purchaser.
CarChip Pro – http://www.carchip.com/Products/8226.asp, $119
CarChipPro is essentially a black box which, once the information is downloaded, provides parents with a history of the teen’s driving. The system may also be set to turn into an alarm if certain speeds are reached or if the driver is braking too hard. Like DriveCam, it is a tool to help discuss a teen’s driving habits by allowing parents to show them the facts, and how to correct their driving behavior.
MyKey – http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=29172, only available for Ford models manufactured in 2010
First seen on the 2010 Ford Focus, the MyKey system is designed to help parents set certain limitations on their Ford vehicles for when their teens are driving. With the configurable key, this system is designed for parents who share their cars with teen drivers.
The key features are:
- Speed Control, limiting the top speed of the Ford vehicle to 80 mph.
- Volume control, which allows parents to set a maximum volume level for the car’s radio.
- Beltminder, an alarm system that mutes the radio and plays a chime every 6 seconds, every minute or every 5 minutes when the seatbelt is unbuckled.
- Fuel reminder: alerts the teen that they need to refuel, when fuel is low.
No matter how good these technologies are, they still aren’t as effective as firm rules and boundaries set up by parents who provide a good driving role model for their child. Studies have shown that teens, whose parents have set clear boundaries and follow up with enforcement, have a safer driving record than those teens whose parents don’t set firm rules or who provide a poor role model for safe driving. Parents who want to start such a dialogue with their teens should consider a parent-teen contract before their child begins to drive on their own.
Driver Education Information That Could Save Your Life
May 21, 2010
Driver education can save thousands of lives. Don’t believe me? Imagine a car and a gun side-by-side. Tell me, which do you think has taken more teen lives? If you feel like the answer should be the gun, think about this for awhile: which one of the two do you see more often day-to-day? While most of the country pays close attention to the subject of gun control or the views of the National Rifle Association, very little focus is given to the number one cause of death for teens- Car Crashes.
The need for driver education is very important because so many of us take the right and the responsibility of driving every day for granted. We travel the roadways and go about our daily routines without the safety reminders we all need. And if you are a new driver— you need the reminders more frequently. We’re going to discuss the basics — the lessons you should be absorbing. This is by no means a substitute for actual driver education, just a summary of the information you may need a refresher on and could save your life.
Buckle Up – Before even starting the car or stepping on the accelerator, always fasten your seat belts. Each year, over 400,000 teen drivers between the ages 16 and 20 get injured in car crashes. Wearing your seat belt will help save your life. It will keep you from being thrown out of the vehicle, lessen the force of impact when hitting the dashboard or other interior spaces in the vehicle and reduce the collision forces on your internal organs. Coupled with air bags, what would be a fatal crash can be reduced to one with only minor injuries. This is also true for your passengers. Make sure they fasten their seat belts. In the event of a crash, if they are not properly belted they can literally become a flying object within the car causing serious injury themselves and other occupants.
Overcrowding – When driving a car, you are not only responsible for your safety, but also for the safety of all your passengers. Being a teen driver already increases your crash risk, but having other teens in the vehicle actually doubles that. Teens make up about 12% of all fatal car crashes in the United States. Overcrowding not only affects the way you drive overall, but causes distractions while driving. In some states, you can be ticketed and fined for driving with minors in the car.
Overloading – A fact you learn in driver education: for every 100 pounds in the car’s trunk, we lower the car’s fuel economy by 2%. This may seem like a low number, but it adds up in the long run. Not only that, but it shifts the center of gravity of your vehicle which in turn affects engine performance, braking distance, and how the vehicle reacts in an emergency. If you’re planning on carrying a lot of stuff — don’t stuff it in the trunk, call a moving van instead.
Emergency Kit – Driver education teaches you all aspects of driving: from trip preparation, operating a vehicle, laws and safety guidelines, defensive driving techniques and handling vehicle emergencies. Always make sure that, when faced with a vehicular emergency, breathe — stay calm. Panicking does not fix your car or improve the situation. If you plan ahead with the proper knowledge, a vehicle emergency tool kit including a spare tire, you’re going to be okay. If you can’t fix the vehicle, remember to have a fully-charged phone, with all your emergency numbers before leaving.
Car Maintenance – Do you know how to check your oil? Is there enough fuel in the tank? Can you check if your tires are worn? Can you check the tire pressure? Are your mirrors adjusted correctly? These are small things you should know how to do after attending driver education — and you should turn this into a routine!
Defensive Driving Techniques – Do you know where your blind spots are and check them each time? Do you keep a space cushion around your vehicle? Is there always a minimum of a two second following distance between your vehicle and the one ahead? Do you look left right left again before entering and intersection? These are some of the many techniques to be a defensive driver and a driver education course covers them.
Driver education is a small step for turning teens into competent drivers on the road. Not only that, but driver proficiency is a skill you will be carrying for life — knowing the small things could save your life in the future! If you have a good attitude towards learning, and you try to learn as much as you can, you are well on your way to becoming a great driver.