Salem, Ore. Jan 13, 2011 – Over 600 Oregon teens were killed and over 77,000 injured in car crashes over the last decade, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation.
For the fifth consecutive year, State Farm is partnering with Oregon high school students to bring awareness to that sobering reality.
Seven high schools have earned “Shift Into Safety” grants from State Farm, the nation’s largest auto insurer and a leader in teen driver safety efforts. Over $26,000 will be awarded to fund school-based projects aimed at reducing car crashes among young drivers.
“The fatality rate for drivers age 16 to 19 is four times that of nearly all other drivers,” said Brad Hilliard, Public Affairs Specialist for State Farm. “The Shift Into Safety program helps students tackle issues like texting while driving, seat belts and speeding directly with their peers.”
The student-led projects will use a variety of tools to motivate young drivers, including mock crashes, video productions, school assemblies, dramas, and outreach to other schools. Most projects include community partners, like law enforcement agencies, nonprofit organizations and parents.
Local State Farm agents will present the grant checks in February, and schools will implement their campaigns over the remainder of the school year.
The winning Oregon Shift Into Safety schools for 2011 are:
| City | School | Grant Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Albany | West Albany High School | $4,000 |
| Gaston | Gaston High School | $3,325 |
| Halsey | Central Linn High School | $4,500 |
| Junction City | Junction City High School | $3,580 |
| Milwaukie | Milwaukie High School | $3,210 |
| Stayton | Stayton High School | $4,000 |
| Tillamook | Tillamook High School | $3,500 |
In 2006, State Farm and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia launched the Young Driver Research Initiative to continue to explore what motivates teen driving behavior and how to save lives. To learn more, visit teendriving.statefarm.com.
Brad Hilliard, State Farm Insurance, (503) 463-3893
State Farm insures more cars and homes than any other insurer in the U.S., is the leading insurer of watercraft and is also a leading insurer in Canada. State Farm’s 17,000 agents and 68,000 employees serve more than 78 million auto, fire, life and health policies in the United States and Canada, and more than 1.9 million bank accounts. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 32 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit statefarm.com® or in Canada statefarm.ca®.
