|
MARYLAND MOTOR VEHICLE ADMINISTRATION SPONSORS TEEN DRIVING PROGRAM
Washington, D.C. (April 10, 2007) -- The Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MMVA) is sponsoring a seminar and workshop, “Involving Parents in Teen Driver Education,” for Maryland driver education instructors designed to help reduce teen car crashes. The program will be presented by Timothy C. Smith, author of Crashproof Your Kids: Make Your Teen a Safer, Smarter Driver (Simon & Schuster, 2006), on Tuesday, May 8, from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC and again on May 9th, from 8:30 a.m. to noon, at the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute at the University of Maryland. The State of Maryland, one of the first states to enact graduated licensing laws for teens, is addressing the problem of teen auto deaths and injuries by focusing on driver education instructors and by recognizing that parents are a vital part of the equation in reducing teen car crashes. The American Automobile Association (AAA) reports that crashes involving drivers 15-17 years-old caused over 30,000 fatalities during the past decade, making teen drivers the single most dangerous group of motorists on the road. Teen car crashes kill and injure more teens every year than guns, drugs, suicide, violence and alcohol combined.
Ann Rowe, Project and Grant Coordinator for the Driver Instructional Services Divisions of the MMVA, coordinates an ongoing series of seminars and workshops which give driver ed instructors the latest information and strategies to help their young drivers.
“Once teens finish their driver education program with our professional instructors, it’s essential that parents continue their education”, asserts Rowe. “Teens need many more hours behind the wheel with their parents after they get their license,” she says, “and we’re always looking for ways to help them with this. We’re excited to have Mr. Smith offer his insights to our instructors.”
Efforts like these have helped Maryland become a leader in teen driving initiatives, with many local, regional and state programs addressing the biggest risk factors for teen drivers.
“It’s a pleasure to speak in a state as progressive as Maryland,” says Smith. “From the governor to the state legislature to the driving schools, they have supported safe driving initiatives and these efforts have saved the lives of many, many people.”
A certified driving instructor in the state of Illinois and the father of three teenagers, Smith has created a Crashproof Plan ( www.crashproofyourkids.com ), that outlines behind-the-wheel exercises and behavioral strategies for parents and teens to train them how to drive in all types of weather, as well as how to reduce the risks of driver error, speeding, drugs and alcohol, distractions and road rage. CONTACT: Timothy Smith, 630-587-9980
Lynda or Jim O’Connor, O’Connor Communications, 847-615-5462
### |
