Firestone Complete Auto Care presents Driver's Edge
- a no cost educational program for young drivers aged 15-21 to teach
real-life emergency avoidance and response techniques and overall
driver safety.
In this program, drivers under the age of 18--the
ones most likely to be involved in car crashes over the last five years
according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety--will learn how to
stay safer on the roads thanks to Driver's Edge. Driver's Edge, a
non-profit organization, will give teen drivers in select U.S. cities
free classroom and behind-the-wheel accident avoidance instruction to
combat this statistic.
Firestone's youth program is taught
with a unique "MTV flavor" by driving professionals through a unique
combination of behind the wheel and classroom experiences. "Driver's
Edge" was specifically developed to address the unacceptably high
number of youth-related automobile collisions and fatalities that occur
each year.
"Car accidents kill more teens than drugs, guns, and violent crimes
combined, yet conventional driver's education in America only teaches
young drivers how to identify road signs and the most basic of driving
skills and then sends them out on the roads," said Jeff Payne,
president, CEO and founder of Driver's Edge. "To keep them safe we need
to take this training to the next level--use a different approach--and
that's what Driver's Edge is about."
(Photo, left: Edge students in Nashville use FatalVision goggles to experience what it's like to be "impaired")
The nationally recognized program,
now in its fifth year, is taught by professional racecar drivers and
performance driving instructors and travels across the country each
year, including visits to the top 10 states for motor vehicle related
fatalities according to federal statistics. A schedule of remaining
events is at the end of this article and at the official Driver's Edge Site.
This year, Firestone projects nearly 30,000 young drivers and their
parents will attend one of the free, half-day Driver's Edge programs.
"Comparable teen driver programs charge $450, but we're committed to
keeping ours available for free in order to reach more people," said
Steven Tepper, chief operating officer of Driver's Edge. "At the end of
the day, you just can't attach a dollar figure to a family getting
their teen home safely." (Photo,
left: Seat belts save lives. The Tennessee Highway patrol demonstrates
the importance of wearing a seat belt with their rollover simulator.)
The
program is typically offered twice a day, with each session educating
approximately 75 to 100 students. The students' parents are encouraged
to attend and observe as well. After attending a program, Driver's Edge
contacts each student at 12- and 24-month intervals to monitor driving
experience following course completion.
The program includes the following elements:
* Written tests designed to measure students' driving knowledge before and after completing the course.
*
Classroom and behind-the-wheel defensive driving instruction on skid
control, evasive lane change maneuvers, anti-lock braking skills and
panic-braking techniques.
* Local law enforcement interaction, including impaired driving awareness and seat belt safety.
*
Proper car maintenance session, based on Firestone Complete Auto Care's
Car Care Academies, an award-winning instructional program that has
been offered throughout the United States for more than 30 years.
Young
drivers, aged 15 to 21, possessing a valid learner's permit or license
must register in advance for the program either by phone at
1-877-633-EDGE (3343), or online at www.driversedge.org.
The current Driver's Edge schedule | |
Dates | Event City |
March 31 & April 1, 2007 | Las Vegas, NV |
April 14, 2007 | San Diego, CA |
April 21, 2007 | Los Angeles, CA |
May 5, 2007 | Salt Lake City, UT |
May 12 & 13, 2007 | Dallas/Fort Worth, TX |
If there is currently not a Driver's Edge program scheduled in your area, please add your name and e-mail address to their Notification List. They will notify you if they add a program in the area(s) you selected. |