Winter 2009 | Vol. 12 | No. 1
State Farm: Committed to Saving Teens' Lives
By: Amy Spong, Public Affairs Specialist, State Farm Auto Safety Unit
Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death among teenagers. If we maintain the status quo, we will lose more than 100,000 teens to automobile crashes in the next ten years.* State Farm® is taking a stand against this epidemic through research and engagement in communities, schools, families, and public policy initiatives.
Research
Saving the lives of teen drivers
requires changing behavior and
social norms. In 2009 and 2010
we will begin to develop and
implement tools to save lives,
prevent crashes, and reduce injuries.
The first step in this process was
the National Young Driver Survey
conducted and released by State
Farm and The Children's Hospital
of Philadelphia (CHOP), who have
been research partners for over a
decade on auto safety issues and
concerns.
Communities and Schools
No initiative of this magnitude
could be successful without the
involvement of local communities
and schools. In 2007, State Farm,
CHOP, and National Youth
Leadership Council (NYLC)
advocated for the first National
Teen Driver Safety Week (NTDSW),
featuring a youth led summit to
discuss the causes of this national
epidemic and possible solutions. The second annual NTDSW focused
on increasing awareness of teen
driver and passenger safety in local
communities and through school
activities, grassroots efforts, and
national advertising.
Additionally, Project Ignition is an innovative program reflecting State Farm's commitment to teen driver safety. In collaboration with NYLC (www.nylc.org), Project Ignition provides grants to nonprofit student-led organizations. These organizations often find their inspiration close to home, sometimes through personal tragedy. Their creative and powerful messages reach across town, county, and state lines. For information about how your community or school can get involved, visit www.sfprojectignition.com.
Families
State Farm understands how
daunting it can be to teach a
teen to drive. We have developed
tools for our agents to share with
teens and parents to help ease
this transition. Steer Clear® invites
students to watch an instructional
DVD, keep a journal about their
behind-the-wheel experience, and
open lines of communication with
their parents about learning to
drive. Upon completion, students
are eligible to receive up to a 15
percent discount on their auto
insurance.
In addition to Steer Clear®, State Farm agents offer a Parent- Teen Handbook (available in English and Spanish) to facilitate ongoing discussion about safe driving. We also started a Facebook page to enhance dialog among parents and teens. Our 2008 NTDSW spokesperson and father of two teen drivers, Cal Ripken, Jr., shares his personal story in a video.
Public Policy
State Farm is using its resources at
a grass roots level across the United
States to advance the conversation
about Graduated Driver Licensing
(GDL). We stand behind restrictions
on wireless communication
devices, passengers, and nighttime
driving. Research shows that
rigorous GDL laws can reduce teen
crashes by up to 40 percent.** We
have created a GDL Toolkit to make
it easy for legislators to learn the
facts, understand our position, and
take the steps to make changes to
laws that will help save lives.
"Like a good neighbor" is more than a slogan. Good Neighbor service means being there when and where we're needed to do what we've promised. By focusing our efforts on teen driver research and engagement in communities, schools, families and public policy, we can truly make a difference. No insurance company is more committed to saving the lives of teen drivers.
Please contact Amy Spong at State Farm for copies of our GDL Legislative Toolkit at amy.spong.pkmf@statefarm.com or 309-735-0908. For more information, visit: www.statefarm.com/teendriving.
*Source: Fatality Analysis Reporting
System Analysis by: The Children's
Hospital of Philadelphia
**National Safety Council