RISING CRASH STATS SUGGEST NEED FOR COMPREHENSIVE TEEN DRIVER TRAINING
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Rebecca Ackford, 614-793-4620, rackford@midohio.com RISING CRASH STATS SUGGEST NEED FOR COMPREHENSIVE TEEN DRIVER TRAINING DUBLIN, Ohio (September 5, 2006) - Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for American teenagers and the number of 13-to-19-year-olds dying in crashes has been on the rise since 1993. Collectively, these statistics demonstrate the steady need for comprehensive teen driver education and training, and The Mid-Ohio School is trying to meet that need. The Department of Public Safety reports that Ohio drivers 16 to 20 years-old led all age groups in traffic-related deaths (119) and injuries (15,003) in 2005. In 2004, one in every 5.5 licensed driver 16-20 years old was involved in a crash. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Ohio is a state that is perennially among the deadliest for motor vehicle deaths involving 15 to 20 year olds. The Honda Teen Defensive Driving Program has been fulfilling this need for quality teen driver instruction since its introduction to The Mid-Ohio School in 1993. Although not a state required course, the Honda Teen Defensive Driving course is a supplemental program to driver education courses which are typically short-term and teach only basic skills. The Honda Teen Defensive Driving Program gives teenage drivers the chance to experience emergency situations in a safe and controlled environment. In the classroom, expert instructors discuss driving basics and vehicle safety with teens, covering the physics and dynamics of good driving, including collision avoidance and skid control. In the Vehicle Dynamics Center, teens transfer their classroom knowledge through wet braking drills, an emergency lane change and collision avoidance exercise, vehicle maintenance talk and a skid car drill, which simulates weather conditions such as ice, snow and rain. "Teenagers aren't inherently bad drivers. It's the age group's lack of experience that contributes to these unfortunate statistics," said Steve Bidlack, director of The Mid-Ohio School. "The Honda Teen Defensive Driving Program gives teens the critical knowledge necessary to properly negotiate and react to everyday driving situations. It is this real world driving experience and the repetition of drills that reduces the learning curve for teens. The Mid-Ohio School's philosophy is to build a foundation of good, safe driving habits now, rather than break bad habits that could have severe consequences later." The Honda Teen Defensive Driving Program has had a positive impact for the Knox County Juvenile Court in a partnership that began with The Mid-Ohio School in 2003. At the discretion of Judge Ronk, teenagers who have serious traffic violations are sent to The Mid-Ohio School as part of their sentence. Since this program's inception, the county has seen a 76% reduction in second-time traffic offenses among participants of the Honda Teen Defensive Driving Program. "My daughter truly benefited from this worthwhile program. There are just some things that driver education courses can't teach you. My daughter learned just how hard she could turn the wheel and slam on the breaks to avoid a crash," said David Bartlett, of Detroit, whose daughter Allison took the course last summer. "Distractions are the biggest issue with teens and the instructors demonstrated that first-hand. My son is fourteen and you'll see us back at the program in two years with him." "I found my day at The Mid-Ohio School to be very educational and a lot of fun. Going through the program will benefit me as I continue driving and the things I learned will assist me with difficult driving situations that might come my way," said Travis Allison, of Bellefontaine, graduate of the Honda Teen Defensive Driving program. The Mid-Ohio School offers teen participants with a GPA of 3.0 or higher a 10% "Good Student" discount, while parents wishing to enroll more than one family member will receive a 15% discount per enrollment. Enrollment in the Honda Teen Defensive Driving Program is available through The Mid-Ohio School's toll-free number (1-877-793-8667) and website (www.midohioschool.com <http://www.midohioschool.com/> ), and programs are affordably priced at $350. The Mid-Ohio School provides professional driving and riding instruction to drivers and motorcyclists of all skill levels. The school's 20 programs vary from Defensive Driving, Performance Driving and Racing programs on the automobile side, to Beginning, Experienced, Advanced Cornering and Performance Track Riding programs on the motorcycle side. Students enjoy classroom sessions, skill drills, expert private instruction and lapping on the same track that challenges the world's top racers. The Mid-Ohio School has graduated more than 19,000 students since 1993. Founded in 1981 and headquartered in Dublin, Ohio, TrueSports, Inc. is a privately held motorsports entertainment enterprise. The company owns and operates Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and The Mid-Ohio School, and promotes a wide variety of motor racing, driver and rider instruction, corporate and family entertainment events throughout the year. -30-