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Communities commit to drive safe in support of new drivers during National Teen Driver Safety Week


teen driver (select to view enlarged photo)

BLOOMINGTON, IL--Oct. 17, 2013: During National Teen Driver Safety Week, new drivers across North America are rallying their communities to commit to safe driving. Car crashes are the number one killer of teens in the US and Canada. Students from more than 3,000 participating high schools are celebrating the joy of driving while at the same time working to reverse this startling statistic.

State FarmŽ is supporting students' efforts to amplify the conversation around teen driver safety through its Celebrate My DriveŽ program. During the 7th Annual National Teen Driver Safety Week, people in communities across the US and Canada are committing to be safe drivers once daily between October 18 and October 26 at Celebrate My Drive. Each safe driving commitment can be made directly in support of one of over 3,000 participating high schools. The 100 high schools with the most safe driving commitments will be awarded grants ranging from $25,000 to $100,000. The top two schools will win a grand prize of a private concert by Grammy award winner Kelly Clarkson.

"I am excited to be part of a movement positively impacting millions of new drivers," said Kelly Clarkson. "We live in a community filled with drivers, new and experienced, and I am all about keeping us all safe on the road."

In 2007, State Farm and The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia teamed up to support a Congressional resolution designating the third week of October as National Teen Driver Safety Week. The goal of National Teen Driver Safety Week is to improve auto safety for children and teens and to encourage parents, young drivers, lawmakers, and educators to work together to change risky teen driving behaviors and help save lives.

"National Teen Driver Safety Week is designed to increase awareness and spark conversation about teen car crashes across the country," said Chris Mullen, Director of Technology Research at State Farm. "Research has shown it will take the involvement of entire communities to keep teens safer on the road; there's not a one-step solution to reducing teen vehicle crashes. Everyone needs to play a role – parents need to monitor their teens' driving practices more closely, teens must obey driving laws and be considerate passengers, and all states must enact and enforce strong graduated driver licensing laws for new drivers."

Visit Celebrate My Drive to make a safe driving commitment and to learn more about ways you can celebrate the responsibility of driving with the new teen drivers across North America.

About Celebrate My Drive:

Celebrate My DriveŽ is a different approach to a leading public health risk. Car crashes are the number one killer of teens, and a teen's first year on the road is the most dangerous. Using research as a guide, State Farm is approaching teen driver safety, a winnable public health battle, by engaging teens while they learn to drive in a supportive and positive way. It's a community celebration of safe driving habits emphasizing the benefits of safe choices as teens celebrate the freedom that comes with getting a drivers' license. Learn more about the initiative at Celebrate My Drive.