'Crash Course' in Collision Prevention and Preparation, Now Available

DUPONT, Wash.--Sept. 28, 2004--Traffic collisions are at an all time high with around 20 million each year. At the same time, however, drivers are grossly uneducated regarding collision procedures. If you haven't been involved in a collision yet, unfortunately chances are, you will be. With over 185 million drivers on the road, collisions are the number one cause of death in the United States for people from 4 to 33 years of age.

In a recent AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety/Better Business Bureau (BBB) poll of over 4,400 individuals, 83% of respondents had been in a collision as either a passenger or driver. Almost a third of all respondents did not know what information they are required by law to give at the scene of a collision. Nearly half (48%) of all respondents did not know either their own insurance liability limits or the minimum insurance liability limits required by their state.

In response to the outcome of this poll, the AAA Foundation, in collaboration with the BBB, is releasing a DVD/VHS entitled "Crash Course: what to know before and after a collision." This latest title in the BBB Video Series educates drivers by providing tips on how to avoid a collision and provides a detailed discussion of automobile insurance coverage. "Crash Course" also instructs drivers and car crash victims about steps to take at the scene after a crash has occurred, and how to effectively deal with insurance claim issues.

"Given the alarming fact that every 13 minutes someone is killed on our nation's roadways, traffic safety education is a necessity," says Peter Kissinger, President and CEO of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. "It's alarming how complacent we, as a nation, are regarding the number of crashes on our nation's roadways. 'Crash Course' is an excellent tool to raise public awareness and educate road users."

While the vast majority of drivers carry insurance, almost half of the individuals polled did not know to what insurance reimbursements they are entitled. Similarly, nearly half (49%) of all respondents did not know the type of insurance coverage that pays for damage to their own vehicle if they are at fault. Only 55% of respondents knew they have the right to choose a repair facility for their vehicle.

Furthermore, according to the poll, almost half of all claimants (48%) stated that their automobile claims were not easy to resolve. Knowing the information needed to resolve claims and being more organized during the process would greatly reduce this. Approximately 63% of those polled desire to use a free online tool to help them organize their claim documents.

Due to the overwhelming demand for an on-line tool to help consumers organize their claim documentation, the BBB Video Series created a comprehensive on-line organizer to accompany the "Crash Course" video. This useful consumer tool is available free-of-charge at http://collisionwizard.bbbvideo.com.

"We strive to reach as many people as possible with our educational videos and tools," says Donald Burkholder, President and CEO of BBB Video Series, Inc. "We were pleased to work closely with the AAA Foundation to get the word out about such an important issue that impacts millions of Americans each year."

Thanks to a donation from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, who offered to fund the placement of up to $800,000 worth of "Crash Course" VHS or DVD's in public libraries across the United States, this program is available free-of-charge in every public library that responded to this free offer. Check www.bbbvideo.com/library_search.php to see if "Crash Course" is available at your local public library - or you can obtain your own copy of "Crash Course" for $9.95 (plus S&H) at www.bbbvideo.com/AAA.

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety is an independent, publicly funded, 501 (c)(3) charitable research and educational organization established in 1947 by the American Automobile Association. The AAA Foundation's mission is to prevent traffic deaths and injuries by conducting research into their causes and by educating the public about strategies to prevent crashes and reduce the impact when they do occur.

The Better Business Bureau Video Series is the exclusive producer of highly rated Better Business Bureau (BBB) videos and DVD's. Titles in the Series are selected from the list of complaints generated annually as a result of more than 41 million contacts to the BBB each year. The goal of the Better Business Bureau Video Series is to educate consumers before a problem occurs in order to reduce consumer complaints.