Secretary Johnson, Ford introduce Parent’s Supervised Driving Program to help prevent teen crashes

DEARBORN, MI – Secretary of State Ruth Johnson today announced a new initiative, sponsored by Ford Motor Co., to promote safe driving among teens and reduce vehicle crashes. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA), motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers 14-18 years old in the United States. 

Secretary Johnson made the announcement this morning at a news conference in Dearborn. Joining her were Michelle Chaka, Ford’s ASO Advanced Rulemaking and Strategy Manager, Jeff Larson, Safe Roads Alliance President, Christine Meddaugh, Driver Rehabilitation Specialist and Michigan Driver & Traffic Safety Education Association President, and Michelle Irwin, Lexington resident and parent of a teen driver. 

The Parent’s Supervised Driving Program uses several different formats, such as website resources, printed materials, and a mobile app to help parents coach their teen drivers more effectively. The goal is to improve upon the 50 hours of required supervised practice driving time for teens with the Level 1 Graduated Driver License, commonly referred to as the “learner’s permit.” As a part of the campaign, a new instructional booklet, The Parent’s Supervised Driving Guide, and an associated RoadReady™ mobile app, which serves as an electronic log book, will be provided to parents and teens at no cost to them or Michigan taxpayers.

“Young drivers are significantly overrepresented in fatal crashes,” Secretary Johnson said. “This is primarily due to their inexperience and age. Driving is a complex task. Anything we can do to improve upon the practice time for teens can ultimately help reduce crashes due to lack of experience and poor judgment.”

In 2012, drivers younger than age 21 accounted for 10 percent of all fatal vehicle crashes in Michigan.

 “The skills outlined in this guide and app are meant to help teens learn to be better drivers. It is one of the ways Ford works to help teens,” said Steve Kenner, Global Director of Ford’s Automotive Safety Office. “In addition to this program, Ford also offers Driving Skills for Life, which gives teens advanced real world training. Ford also offers MyKey technology, which gives parents options to help encourage safe driving behaviors even when the parents aren’t in the car.” 

The Parent’s Supervised Driving Guide provides parents with the information they need to effectively coach their Level 1 driver, including a detailed instruction plan, training tips and sample driving exercises that teens should practice. For example, it is recommended that practice sessions include driving in a variety of weather conditions and in unfamiliar settings to help teens develop the skills and judgment needed to be safer drivers.

The guide is being printed and distributed at no cost to taxpayers thanks to the public-private partnership with Ford. Parents will receive a copy at the Secretary of State office when their teen applies for the Level 1 license. The guide will also be available online at www.michigan.gov/teendriver.

The RoadReady mobile app will allow parents and teens to electronically log the required minimum 50 hours of behind-the-wheel supervised driving time. In addition to tracking the hours and number of practice sessions driven, the app will provide GPS mapped drives, a record of road conditions, driving summaries and more. It is available at no cost for iPhones from the App StoreSM and will be available for other platforms in spring 2014.

About 116,000 Level 1 licenses were issued in 2012.

“This state–of–the art program was developed by the foremost experts and organizations in highway safety,” stated Jeff Larson, President of Safe Roads Alliance, who worked with Johnson and her staff to develop the campaign for the state. “It will be made available to Michigan parents and guardians of teens with the Level 1 License through multiple platforms, most conveniently at the Secretary of State office when teens first receive their learner’s permit.”

Information is available on the Secretary of State Teen Driver website at www.michigan.gov/teendriver and at www.theparentssuperviseddrivingprogram.com/media.

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About Ford Motor Company 

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 180,000 employees and 65 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding the company and Ford products, please visit www.corporate.ford.com. 

About Safe Roads Alliance 

Safe Roads Alliance is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving highway safety by improving driver education with particular emphasis on behind-the-wheel training.