York, PA, (November 29,2012) – Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens. And, State Farm is committed to helping end these tragedies.
On November 28, representatives from the Center for Traffic Safety of York and Spring Grove High School in Spring Grove each received $2500 from State Farm officials to continue heightened awareness about the risks and responsibilities teen face when behind the wheel of a motor vehicle.
The grants were part of the expanded outreach from Celebrate My Drive, State Farm’s national event held across North America on September 15th, where high school officials, safety advocates, local law enforcement, and government leaders joined with more than 1,400 State Farm agents and tens of thousands of teens and their parents for a day-long celebration of the year’s class of new teen drivers. Over $80,000 in teen driving program and safety grants were awarded throughout the Northeast including the $5K at Wednesday’s Spring Grove presentation.
Spring Grove High School will use their grant to purchase a second driving simulator. The driving simulator will extend the learning opportunities of the students who attend their driver safety course at the high school. The grant will be utilized by the Center for Traffic Safety at Spring Grove and West York High Schools for education materials to heighten awareness about the dangers and risks of teen driving and highlight the Celebrate My Drive positive message for teens that encourages them to drive safely and enjoy the road ahead.
“Learning to drive is a big first step in life’s journey and State Farm is proud to celebrate this important milestone while making sure young drivers stay safe on the road ahead”, shared York area agent, Vince Cerceo who attended the check presentation. “Through Celebrate My Drive, State Farm has taken a different approach to teen driving safety by sharing positive driving habits and experiences. The focus is share tactics, not scare tactics.”
As the nation’s leading home and auto insurer, State Farm’s message is not just for teen drivers. This year, State Farm also released data on (1) the increase of people using the internet while driving and (2) the critical role parents play in the teen driving experience. A national Harris survey showed that teens who refrain from texting while driving were much more likely to report having frequent talks with their parents about safe driving. Also, in the survey, more teens who never text and drive talk to their parents very often or sometimes about driving (82%) compared to teens that do text and drive (67%).
“The message is simple”, added State Farm’s Dwayne Redd, who also attended the grant presentation, “Pay attention. Keep the lines of communication open. Lead by example. And, follow the rules of the road.”
In addition to local grants, State Farm awarded fourteen $100K grants to schools and a new 2013 Chevy Sonic to fourteen teen drivers, who attended one of the Celebrate My Drive events. For a complete list of all winners, go to www.celebratemydrive.com.
Dave Phillips, State Farm Public Affairs, (610) 358-7667
State Farm and its affiliates are the largest provider of car insurance in the U.S. and is a leading insurer in Canada. In addition to providing auto insurance quotes, their 17,800 agents and more than 65,000 employees serve 81 million policies and accounts - more than 79 million auto, home, life and health policies in the United States and Canada, and nearly 2 million bank accounts. Commercial auto insurance, along with coverage for renters, business owners, boats and motorcycles, is also available. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 43 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit http://www.statefarm.com or in Canada http://www.statefarm.ca.
