Liberty Mutual Provides Online Tips and Resources to Help Teen Drivers Navigate Dangerous Road Conditions This Winter

Distracted Driving Leads to More Dangers on Slick and Snowy Roads

BOSTON, Dec. 23 -- With winter approaching, drivers in many parts of the country must prepare to cope with the season's ice, snow, and other hazards that turn roads treacherous and contribute to the more than 1.5 million annual weather-related car crashes reported by the National Research Council. And teen drivers in particular, many of whom will face wintry conditions behind the wheel for the first time, need added guidance to safely navigate the roadways through the upcoming months. To help, Liberty Mutual Insurance has a host of winter weather safety resources for teens at www.LibertyMutualTeenDriving.com.

"Driving in wintry conditions is no easy task, even for seasoned drivers, and it is especially difficult for younger drivers with limited experience to adapt to slippery roads and poor visibility," said Dave Melton, a driving safety expert with the Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety. "Teen drivers need to take extra steps to protect themselves this winter, and parents need to promote and enforce safe driving habits to keep their teens safe."

Before getting behind the wheel, a driving safety video at www.LibertyMutualTeenDriving.com will help teens and parents get winter road-ready and ensure their cars are safe and in good working order. Website visitors also will find winter car maintenance tips and a checklist for a winter driving safety kit. These tips from Liberty Mutual and Dave Melton include:

  --  Before you get on the road in bad weather, check your local news
      stations and their Internet sites - for detailed, up-to-the-minute
      weather and traffic information.
  --  If your trip is absolutely necessary, give yourself extra time.
  --  During inclement weather put extra distance - at least five or six
      seconds - between yourself and the vehicle in front.
  --  Antilock brakes, all-wheel and four-wheel drive won't help you stop
      faster.
  --  Turn on your headlights so other drivers can see you.  In snow, fog
      and rain, don't use high beams - they increase glare for both you and
      other drivers.
  --  Signal your intentions early - don't surprise other drivers.
  --  Do not use cruise control when roads are hazardous.
  --  And, slow down!

Heeding such driving safety advice is critical year-round, but even more so during the winter: car crashes are 36 percent more likely to happen in January than July, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Add in unsafe or distracted driving behaviors reported by teen drivers in a recent study by Liberty Mutual and SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions), including speeding (39 percent), talking on a cell phone (37 percent) and text messaging (30 percent), and our winter roadways become even more dangerous.

Since 1991, Liberty Mutual and SADD have collaborated on research and responsible solutions to keep families safe behind the wheel, including the resources found at www.LibertyMutualTeenDriving.com such as:

  --  fun and easy ways for teens to brush up on basic driving skills such
      as following street signs, mastering parallel parking, and managing
      wet roads;
  --  video demonstrations on safe driving techniques;
  --  information on state-by-state driving laws;
  --  a safe driving quiz that challenges teens to think about their driving
      skills and compete with their parents or friends;
  --  a customizable parent/teen safe driving contract with customizable
      family ground rules around key safe driving issues such as speeding,
      the number of passengers in the car, cell phone usage, texting while
      driving, and curfews;
  --  tips on how to talk to teens about driving distractions and dangers;
  --  tips on buying and caring for a car, individual car safety scores;
  --  and, an exclusive 50 percent discount for teens to take the National
      Safety Council's online Defensive Driving Course.

  About Liberty Mutual Group

"Helping people live safer, more secure lives" since 1912, Boston-based Liberty Mutual Group (Libertymutualgroup.com) is a diversified global insurer and fifth-largest property and casualty insurer in the U.S. based on 2008 direct written premium. Liberty Mutual Group ranks 86th on the Fortune 500 list of largest U.S. corporations, based on 2008 revenue. The company has over 45,000 employees located in more than 900 offices throughout the world.

The eighth-largest auto and home insurer in the U.S., Liberty Mutual (libertymutual.com) sells full lines of coverage for automobile, homeowners, valuable possessions, personal liability, and individual life insurance. The company is an industry leader in affinity partnerships, offering car and home insurance to employees and members of more than 12,000 companies, credit unions, professional associations and alumni groups.

About SADD

For more than 27 years, SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) has been committed to empowering young people to lead education and prevention initiatives in their schools and communities. Founded as Students Against Drunk Driving in 1981, SADD (sadd.org) has become the nation's preeminent peer-to-peer youth education, prevention and activism organization, with nearly 10,000 chapters in middle schools, high schools, and colleges nationwide. SADD now highlights prevention of many destructive behaviors that are harmful to young people, including underage drinking, substance abuse, risky and impaired driving, and teen violence and suicide.