West Virginia

West Virginia Senator Honored for Working to Keep Teen Drivers Safe

Sen. Dan Foster of West Virginia was presented with the 2009 Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) Champion Award by State Farm for his actions to keep teen drivers safe. This award is given in recognition of Foster’s efforts to pass legislation that improved the GDL laws in the state.

“These legislators have taken steps to help reduce the number of teen crashes and ultimately save lives here in West Virginia,” said Erin Bailey, Public Affairs specialist, who presented the award to the senator.

Sen. Foster’s bill strengthened West Virginia’s GDL statute so that now it is among the nation’s best, as compared with GDL recommendations set forth by the National Safety Council and other experts.

Motor vehicle crashes are the No. 1 killer of American teens. GDL laws have been proven to help prevent these tragedies. GDL is a system designed to introduce driving privileges in phases; this approach keeps new teen drivers out of high-risk situations, protecting them and others on the road while they gain driving experience. According to the National Safety Council, states with strong GDL laws have as much as a 40 percent reduction in crashes involving teen drivers.

State Farm has awarded legislators from across eight states with the 2009 Graduated Driver Licensing Champion Awards.