Graduation season is almost upon us. We know that safe driving is probably one of the last things on a kid’s mind as summer approaches. But it’s also a time when teens are faced with the risks associated with impaired, reckless and distracted driving.
Just like Mercedes-Benz’s Driving Academy, Ford offers its Driving Skills for Life programs that address the life-endangering risks that teen drivers face on the road. “This a time of year when many teens request, and parents provide, expanded driving privileges,” said Jim Graham, manager of Ford Driving Skills for Life. “Unfortunately, safety can take a back seat to the excitement associated with the many celebrations around prom and graduation.”
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the leading cause of death among youths aged 15 to 20 is traffic crashes. Teen drivers are in three times as many fatal crashes as other drivers, which claim the lives of nearly 3,000 teens each year. On top of that, the under-20 age group has the highest proportion of distracted drivers involved in fatal crashes.
In April, more than 1,000 teens will have the chance to participate in Ford Driving Skills for Life programs where they will learn advanced safe-driving skills from top professional driving instructors. These programs are free and learning is done in hands-on driving modules.
The Ford Driving Skills for Life will be visiting high schools in Spokane and Washington’s Tri-Cities. Teens will take part in a full day of multifaceted activities that will build skills in four key areas: driver distraction, speed/space management, vehicle handling and hazard recognition.
To learn more and to see if there’s a program offered in your area, visit the Ford Driving Skills for Life website.
