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Former SADD President Joins Top Driver

23 July 1998

Former SADD President Joins Top Driver; Cullinane Continues Crusade to Make Roads Safer

    NEW YORK, July 23 -- William F. Cullinane, former president
and executive director of the national organization of Students Against
Destructive Decisions (SADD), has been named Executive Director of Education
and Public Affairs for Top Driver, Inc., the New York-based company
responsible for revolutionizing the driver education industry.
    With more than 27 years of experience as a teacher, counselor and coach at
all levels of the educational system, Cullinane, of Chatham, MA, is a national
authority on drug and alcohol education issues.  His work with SADD has
resulted in a significant decrease in the number of drunk driving related
crashes.
    "The addition of Bill Cullinane to the Top Driver team is a tremendous
benefit to all drivers," said Dan Davidson, Top Driver co-chairman.  "Bill
Cullinane's vision, energy, dedication and contacts, will without question,
result in a stronger Top Driver national presence thereby saving many lives
and reducing auto related injuries throughout the country."
    As Executive Director of Education and Public Affairs, Cullinane will be
responsible for enhancing Top Driver's comprehensive curriculum for driver
safety, as well as representing and lobbying on  the behalf of driver safety
issues.
    "This is a natural extension of my duties with SADD, where I helped
educate young drivers about how their actions affect others," Cullinane said.
"Top Driver's role in making our highways safe is the best program available
in driver education today."
    His first order of business, he said, is to lower the number of
accidents involving young drivers.
    Cullinane joined SADD in 1985 as assistant director and was promoted to
executive director in 1991.  In that capacity, he traveled throughout the
country to meet with students and teachers.  During his tenure, SADD grew to
more than 25,000 chapters in the U.S. and the program expanded into Europe,
Asia, Africa and South America.
    A graduate of Boston College and the University of Massachusetts at
Boston, Cullinane has advanced graduate degrees from Adelphi University
National Drug Training Institute and Worcester State College.  He is the
author of several articles on adolescence, is an international lecturer on
prevention and has been honored by federal, state and local agencies for his
efforts on behalf of the country's youth.
    "Almost 50 percent of young drivers are involved in auto crashes within
the first year of receiving their license and that is intolerable," Cullinane
said.  "If I can help decrease that number significantly over the next decade,
I would feel a tremendous sense of accomplishment."
    Top Driver is changing the way that people learn to drive by providing the
highest quality driver education available today.  With plans to open more
than 200 training centers nationwide, Top Driver is revolutionizing driver
education and setting the new standard.
    Partnered with Chevrolet and Metlife Auto, it is the first in the industry
to bundle driver education programs, DMV Services, financing information,
insurance services, automotive safety products and driver accessories in a
single, easily accessible mall location.