AutoWeek Magazine Hosts Teen Driving Safety Summit to Improve Driver Training in America

The inaugural Summit brought together those passionate about saving lives on America's roads with an opportunity to discuss current training programs and to receive behind-the-wheel instruction

DETROIT, Aug. 30 -- In its quest to improve teenage driver safety in America, AutoWeek magazine hosted its inaugural Teen Driving Safety Summit, in partnership with Dodge, on August 28, 2007, at Oakland University in Rochester, Mich.

Over 250 attendees from around the country included parents, teens, educators from advanced teen driving schools, representatives from MADD, and those in the automotive and insurance industries as well as corporate America. Together, this group united for one common cause: to initiate change to the current driver education curriculums in an effort to save the thousands of lives lost on America's roads each year.

The Summit began with a powerful lineup of speakers, including Dr. Ricardo Martinez, executive vice president of medical affairs and regional medical officer of the Schumacher Group (former administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration); Phil Berardelli, teen safety advocate and author of Safe Young Drivers: A Guide for Parents and Teens; and a panel of professional driving school instructors, including NASCAR Driver Kyle Petty, all discussing the importance of proper driver education and what needs to be done in order to improve the current system.

Speakers as well as panelists were in consensus when it came to the need for national change in driver education programs. Many stated their concern for current state-by-state licensing and the need for making graduated licensing nationally consistent.

In addition to understanding the "rules of the roads," the importance of experience through repetition was also emphasized. Many panelists agreed that while current laws allow drivers to get behind the wheel once they reach a certain age, responsibility for proper education and preparedness ultimately fall to parents.

Advanced driving courses taught by professional instructors were encouraged as such courses offer in-depth instruction on a variety of topics better preparing teens for the road. "Supervised parent involvement with extended learning time proves to reduce exposure to high-risk situations," explained Dr. Ricardo Martinez, executive vice president of medical affairs and regional medical officer of the Schumacher Group.

Following the morning discussions, afternoon driver training exercises were conducted by professional instructors from the Richard Petty Driving Experience. In an effort to further educate today's drivers and demonstrate what needs to be included in the current driver education curriculum, attendees experienced, first-hand, common challenges of the road and proper ways in which to handle various situations.

"The idea for the Summit evolved from an overwhelming response we received from our September 4, 2006, special section on teen driving," explains AutoWeek Editor & Associate Publisher Dutch Mandel. "We quickly realized the need to bring together those who share concern for teen driver safety and who are passionate in bringing about change. We're very pleased with the outcome of the Summit as we feel there is a powerful message here that we're able to carry back to our communities. We hope to continue these efforts both in AutoWeek magazine as well as at future Teen Driving Safety Summit events."

The August 27 issue of AutoWeek features the 2007 special section on teen driving in which AutoWeek continues to explore driver training and licensing, both in America and abroad. With the frightening statistics on accidents and deaths in mind, the issue explores what other countries have done to improve their systems and what Americans can do, both as parents and as drivers who share the roads with today's youth, to save lives.

More information on the AutoWeek Teen Driving Safety Summit, including a webcast from the Aug. 28 event (available Sept. 5) and the 2006 and 2007 special sections on teen driving, can be found online at AutoWeek.com/tdss.

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