State Farm recognizes the importance of teen driver safety education and is committed to driving down fatalities by supporting teen traffic safety. This week, State Farm announced its support of a Florida based teen traffic safety group, the Florida Teen Safe Driving Coalition. The safety grant, which was awarded in the amount of $25,000, will go toward funding traffic safety awareness campaigns, geared toward influencing positive driving decisions among teens and parents in Florida.
Car crashes are the leading cause of death for teens, yet these crashes are preventable. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA), novice teen drivers are twice as likely as adult drivers to be involved in a fatal car crash. This is primarily due to lack of experience and hesitance to stand up for themselves when feeling unsafe in a car.
In 2020, State Farm provided funding to support the continuation of the Ground Your Parents Safe Driving Campaign, an effort to raise awareness among parents of the important duty they have to model safe driving behavior for their teens. According to NHTSA, parents are the number one role-model and influencer when it comes to teen safe driving habits. The goal of the campaign is to get teens talking to their parents about “practicing what they preach” when it comes to driving safe. The supporting 2020 grant aided to create a micro-website designed to offer hands-on resources for teens to influence safe driving habits among their parents.
Portions of the 2021 grant will go toward supporting student-led teen driver safety projects in Florida high schools. Teens will have the opportunity to participate in statewide contests and win monetary prizes to support safe driving initiatives at their school.
Additional Resources:
Put it Away – Ground Your Parents videos: https://flteensafedriver.org/put-it-away/
Florida Teen Driving Safety Coalition: https://flteensafedriver.org/
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA): https://www.nhtsa.gov/road-safety/teen-driving#topic-teen-driver-requirements