In Time For Prom Season, Ford Driving Skills For Life Hosts Virtual Assembly On Dangers Of Impaired, Distracted Driving
March 22, 2017 by Ford◾New for 2017, Ford Driving Skills for Life will host a Virtual Assembly on YouTube for classrooms across the United States to learn about the dangers of impaired and distracted driving. ◾Classrooms will incorporate 'The Academy,' a web-based curriculum at www.drivingskillsforlife.com into their programs. ◾Now in its 14th year, Ford Driving Skills for Life focuses on critical factors influencing teen crashes – vehicle handling, hazard recognition, speed management and space management, distraction and impairment DEARBORN, Mich., March 22, 2017 – With high school prom season around the corner, more than 32,000 students across the United States will take part in a first-ever Ford Driving Skills For Life (DSFL) virtual assembly to learn about the dangers of impaired and distracted driving. The assembly, which starts at 12 p.m. ET, will include Ford's 'Drunk Driving Suit,' which simulates impairment and slows movement, reduces coordination, blurs vision and makes tasks difficult. Students from Hyde Park High School in Austin, Texas, who have previously used the suit, will talk about their experiences on screen. Ford DSFL's professional drivers and instructors will conduct the 40-minute digital class from the lobby of the Ford Rouge Factory Visitor Center, part of Ford's historic Rouge manufacturing complex. To register, go to DrivingSkillsforLife.com. Watch the assembly on YouTube here. Other viewers can Tweet @FordDSFL or write a comment in the YouTube comment section to be answered live. 'Prom is both an exciting yet dangerous time of year for teen drivers,' said James Graham, global manager, Ford Driving Skills for Life. 'One of the biggest distractions is additional passengers. We talk to teens about limiting the amount of people in their vehicle as well as buckling-up. Ultimately, we hope that with this assembly we can positively impact teens to make the right choice behind-the-wheel and make it home safely.' Since 2003, Ford Driving Skills for Life has provided free driver training in a hands-on environment to more than 1 million newly licensed drivers around the world.
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The award-winning program captures teen and parent interest with free ride-and-drive courses that pair newly licensed drivers with professional driving instructors. The focus is on the issues and obstacles drivers face that cause crashes. In addition to warning about the dangers of impaired and distracted driving through Ford's drugged and drunk driving suits, this year will feature virtual reality training tools to help new drivers navigate traffic circles, pedestrians and bicyclists. Special emphasis for 2017 includes instruction for drivers ages 18-20, who are involved in more fatal crashes than younger teens. In addition, many organizations serving teens will incorporate 'The Academy,' a web-based curriculum at www.drivingskillsforlife.com, into their programs. Grants will also be provided to states to focus on latest issues facing drivers. Working with its national partner, Governors Highway Safety Association, Ford Driving Skills for Life will cover 15 markets in the United States this year, including Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin. The hands-on program will serve more than 150 markets globally, with stops now including Hungary and Norway. 'Mission Not Accomplished: Teen Safe Driving, the Next Chapter,' a Governors Highway Safety Association report released in October, shows that despite progress reducing teen driving deaths from 2005 to 2014, teen drivers are still 1.6 times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than adults 35-40. Data shows teen driver-involved traffic crashes and fatalities increased 10 percent in 2016 over 2015 – the first increase since 2006. *Source: Governors Highway Safety Association 'Mission Not Accomplished: Teen Safe Driving, the Next Chapter' About Ford Driving Skills for Life Ford Driving Skills for Life was established in 2003 by Ford Motor Company Fund, the Governors Highway Safety Association, and a panel of safety experts to teach newly licensed teens and parents the necessary skills for safe driving beyond what they learn in standard driver education programs. Now in its fourteenth year, the basic premise behind Ford Driving Skills for Life is to provide a step in the learning process, providing new skills and information not currently shared with newly licensed drivers in the basic driver education courses. The program has trained more than 1 million individuals in safe driving practices. It is offered in 35 countries, and hands-on driving clinics have been conducted in all 50 U.S. states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. For more information visit www.drivingskillsforlife.com. About Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services is committed to creating opportunities that promote corporate citizenship, philanthropy, volunteerism and cultural diversity for those who live in the communities where Ford does business. Established in 1949 and made possible by Ford Motor Company profits, Ford Motor Company Fund supports initiatives and institutions that foster innovative education, auto-related safety, and American heritage and legacy. National programs include Ford Partnership for Advanced Studies, which provides high school students with academically rigorous 21st century learning experiences, and Driving Skills for Life, a teen-focused auto safety initiative. The Ford Volunteer Corps, established in 2005, continues Ford's legacy of caring worldwide. Through the Volunteer Corps, salaried employees, union members, retirees and their families participate in a wide range of volunteer projects in their communities. For more information on programs made possible by Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services, visit https://corporate.ford.com/company/community/ford-fund.html. About Governors Highway Safety Association The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) is a nonprofit association representing the highway safety offices of states, territories, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. GHSA provides leadership and representation for the states and territories to improve traffic safety, influence national policy, enhance program management and promote best practices. Its members are appointed by their Governors to administer federal and state highway safety funds and implement state highway safety plans. Contact GHSA at 202-789-0942 or visit www.ghsa.org. Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GHSAhq or follow us on Twitter @GHSAHQ.
