Fresh Green Light is the driving school franchise that's reinventing Driver's Ed.

COS COB, CT--Nov. 6, 2013: Fresh Green Light Franchise Partners today announced it will begin offering franchises for its cutting-edge Driver Training Centers that offer a more effective training program for new teen drivers.

"We've built a better driver training model that delivers better outcomes," said Laura Shuler, CEO of Fresh Green Light Franchise Partners. "By franchising our model, we can provide a more effective driver training solution in communities across the country."

Fresh Green Light was founded by Shuler and husband Steve Mochel in 2009, with the opening of their first Driver Training Center in Rye, New York, their hometown. They have since opened Centers in Greenwich and Darien, Connecticut.

"Our students report dramatically fewer accidents compared to the national average," said Mochel, President and Chief Development Officer. While accident rates for new teen drivers are reported to be as high as 50% during the first year of driving, only 12.5% of Fresh Green Light students report having an accident their first year on the road. "That's a 75% reduction in accident risk," Mochel said.

In a 2012 report on global best practices in driver training, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration featured Fresh Green Light's program, describing it as "above and beyond most basic driver education programs." Fresh Green Light was the only U.S. driving school to be profiled in the report.

"Despite the fact that accidents are the number one killer of teens in the U.S., Driver's Ed hasn't changed in over sixty years," said Shuler. "Driver's education offered through the majority of high schools and commercial driving schools is not effective at reducing teen accident risks."

"An honest, careful analysis of traditional driver education can lead to only one conclusion: It doesn't teach driving, let alone good driving. Its philosophy, psychology, content and method are wrong. The damage it causes is crippling and permanent." (Autoweek, 2006)

In most states, teens are required to complete formal driver training as a prerequisite for licensing, but it's offered in less than 30% of high schools. As a consequence, commercial driving schools are the primary resource for fulfilling mandatory training. "The commercial driving school industry is largely made up of mom-and-pop operators, many of whom provide a less-than-optimal experience; and there currently isn't a strong commercial driving school franchise offering."

"We believe the franchise model is the best way to grow Fresh Green Light because it puts the brand in the hands of people who want to make a meaningful impact in their local communities," said Shuler. "At the end of the day, we know we're doing something that's saving lives. That's a pretty powerful way to make a difference."