CARFAX and Local Dealers Team With Parents to Help Teens Become Better, Safer Drivers

FAIRFAX, Va.--Sept. 9, 2003--

Car Dealers join the CARFAX Safe Teen Drivers Program to reach parents of new drivers in an effort to reduce teen car crash fatalities

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for American teenagers. To help curb this problem, CARFAX, pioneer of the vehicle history report, is teaming up with car dealers to reach out to parents and teens at a local level. Through the CARFAX Safe Teen Drivers Program, select dealers in the Washington, DC Metro Area are now offering parents valuable "nuggets" of information in a tip sheet format to use at that teachable moment in the car when coaching their new drivers.

"We have heard over and over that the driving schools and classes offered today are teaching teens to pass the driving test," said CARFAX President Dick Raines. "What parents need are coaching tips that address real life driving risks such as the 'three-second-rule' or how to safely avoid an aggressive driver."

Taking the Message to the Street via Local Dealers

Car dealers are renowned community advocates for safety. When CARFAX approached local dealers to be part of this program roll out, the response was overwhelming.

"At Fairfax Hyundai, we understand the dangers of teens behind the wheel, which is why we couldn't say no to participating," said Kenny Roberts, Used Car Manager at Fairfax Hyundai. "We are selling parents and their teens reliable cars, but we are taking our relationship a step further by offering parents safe driving tips from CARFAX. We feel great about giving out information that can make an impact on a community issue during our sales process."

CARFAX is initially offering the Safe Teen Drivers Program materials to dealers in the Washington DC Metro area, including Fairfax Hyundai, Euro Motorcars, Jack Taylor's Alexandria Toyota, Dudley Martin Chevrolet, Safford Lincoln Mercury, Covington Buick, Browns Sterling Nissan and Jim Coleman Toyota.

"After we've gotten feedback from DC area dealers about how customers are responding to our Safe Teen Drivers handout, we'll roll out to dealerships nationwide," Raines said.

CARFAX Safe Teen Drivers Tips on the Dash

CARFAX developed its Safe Teen Drivers tip sheet by incorporating four major topics into "bite-size nuggets" of safety information. The tips include everything from a pre-drive checklist, to coaching tips for parents, to practical driving techniques, such as "The Three-Second-Rule: Keep Your Distance." For example, the "Keep Your Distance" tips include pointers such as:

-- As the car in front of you passes a fixed point such as a sign, tree or building, count, "one-thousand-one, one-thousand-two, one-thousand-three." If you reach the designated point before three, slow down.

-- Increase your distance by one for each bad driving condition.

-- If the driver behind you is too close, change lanes and let them pass.

The sheet can be kept whole and used as a list with all four subjects on one card. It is perforated to allow the card to be separated into smaller note cards with one subject per card. Parents and teens can keep the tips in a glove box, sun visor, pocket, bag or backpack. With a lightweight, removable-sticky backing, they can be used as decals. Adhered to the dashboard during driving lessons with teens, they can be removed and used over again. There is even a small "Buckle Up" decal on the bottom of the sheet that can be placed in the upper left-hand corner of the windshield to remind all the drivers to use their safety belts.

"When I received the CARFAX Safe Teen Drivers tips, I realized I had a practical tool I could actually use with my daughter that very evening to discuss driving techniques together," said Catherine Noel of Columbia, Missouri. "The tips gave us a topic to focus for that day, but also gave my daughter a skill to carry with her through life."

EDITOR'S NOTE: To receive a sample of the CARFAX Safe Teen Drivers Program tip sheet, contact CARFAX at 703-934-2664 or e-mail PRSupport@carfax.com.

ABOUT CARFAX

CARFAX, the leader in vehicle history services, hosts a Safe Teen Drivers Program at www.carfax.com. The CARFAX Safe Teen Drivers Program provides key information to parents and teens on safe driving tools and techniques. CARFAX also helps parents and teens make informed buying decisions about used cars through its Vehicle History Reports - available through www.carfax.com and car dealers. CARFAX Vehicle History Reports provide an instant background check on any used car, and help consumers and dealers avoid used cars with costly hidden problems, including major accident and salvage history, odometer fraud, flood damage and more. Based in Fairfax, Virginia, CARFAX has been providing the truth about used cars since 1984 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of R.L. Polk & Company.