Sprint Nextel Joins with Virginia State Police, Virginia DMV, NASSP and NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series(TM) Driver Kyle Busch to Tell Teens: ''Focus on Driving''; Virginia Kickoff of Focus on Driving Education Program Follows Successful Orlando, Fla. Pilot
RICHMOND, Va.--April 11, 2006--| Busch and Fellow Driver Kasey Kahne Star in Focus on Driving Public Service Announcements |
Sprint Nextel , in partnership with the Virginia State Police, the Virginia DMV, and the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), today announced the Virginia kickoff of "Focus on Driving," a new drivers education program created by Sprint Nextel to educate teen drivers about the importance of attentive driving.
"When you are behind the wheel of a car, driving must be your top priority," said Shane Muchmore, director, state legislative affairs, Sprint Nextel. "We believe the best way to eliminate distracted driving from the roads and highways of our communities is to educate drivers to the importance of attentive driving. By targeting teen drivers, the Focus on Driving program seeks to stop bad driving habits with teens before they begin."
As part of the announcement at Richmond International Raceway, Sprint Nextel presented two television public service announcements starring NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series drivers Kyle Busch and Kasey Kahne, which promote the Focus on Driving program and the importance of attentive driving. Busch, driver of the No. 5 Kellogg's Chevrolet met with Virginia public safety officials and educators following the announcement.
"When you get behind the wheel, whether you're driving 180 miles per hour at a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race or 35 miles per hour on the way to the grocery store, there's no room for distractions," commented Busch, who, at age 20, is the youngest driver ever to win a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race. "You have to focus on driving."
Focus on Driving, which was introduced in 2003 as a pilot in the Orange County Public Schools in Orlando, Florida, is now available free of charge to driver education teachers and students across Virginia as well as Florida, Arizona, California and Washington state. Expansion of the program will continue on a state-by-state basis. Created by Sprint Nextel in consultation with the NASSP, driver education teachers and high school students, Focus on Driving is designed to educate teenagers about the importance of attentive driving before they get behind the wheel for the very first time. Student focus groups helped create a resource that speaks to teens in their own language, using real-world examples.
"As educators, we are always challenged to find new ways of engaging students regarding civic responsibility and leadership," said Gerald N. Tirozzi, Ph.D., executive director for NASSP. "Focus on Driving takes a unique approach to meeting that challenge by giving students the opportunity to learn from their peers, not just their teachers, and to take responsibility for practicing safe and attentive driving."
Along with free teacher and student guides, parent-student pledge cards, classroom posters and an instructional video, schools participating in Focus on Driving may request guest instructors from Sprint Nextel.
"We are pleased to partner with Sprint Nextel in an effort to curb the high number of traffic related deaths and injuries among Virginia's teens as a result of driver distraction. Safety awareness programs, such as this one, provide a foundation of responsible driving habits for young drivers to build upon," commented Col. W. Steven Flaherty, Superintendent of the Virginia State Police.
Commissioner, D.B. Smit of the Virginia DMV agreed, "When you get behind the wheel of a vehicle, your first priority is to focus on driving. By teaching new drivers this behavior, we will groom generations of alert and safe drivers. Virginia's roadways will be safer for everyone."
To learn more about the Focus on Driving program or to order the free Focus on Driving teacher and student guides and the instructional video, visit www.sprint.com/focusondriving or email focusondriving@sprint.com.
About Sprint Nextel
Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of communications services bringing mobility to consumer, business and government customers. Sprint Nextel is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including two robust wireless networks offering industry leading mobile data services; instant national and international walkie-talkie capabilities; and an award-winning and global Tier 1 Internet backbone. For more information, visit www.sprint.com.
About the Virginia State Police
The Virginia State Police is a nationally accredited police agency tasked with providing the Commonwealth and its citizens responsive, coordinated, comprehensive public safety services. The State Police operates independent yet supportive of local law enforcement agencies in its mission to preserve law and order through its enforcement of traffic and regulatory laws, and through its extensive investigative capabilities. For more information, visit www.vsp.virginia.gov.
About the Virginia DMV
The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles is committed to providing Virginians with secure, reliable credentials in a customer-focused environment using state-of-the-art technology. Annually, the agency serves more than five million Virginians and collects more than $2 billion in revenue used to fund the Commonwealth's highway maintenance and construction. DMV's mission is to promote security, safety and service through the administration of motor vehicle and tax-related laws. For more information, visit www.dmvNOW.com.
About NASSP
The National Association of Secondary School Principals--the preeminent organization and the national voice for middle level and high school principals, assistant principals and aspiring school leaders--provides its members the professional resources to serve as visionary leaders. NASSP promotes the intellectual growth, academic achievement, character development, leadership development, and physical well-being of youth through its programs and student leadership services. NASSP sponsors the National Honor Society(TM), the National Junior Honor Society(TM), and the National Association of Student Councils(TM). For more information on NASSP or its student organizations, visit www.principals.org.