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Ford education program for teens scheduled in Coeur d'Alene

Brent Jennings, PE
Highway Safety Manager
It is no secret that Idaho is mostly rural and the risks for fatal and serious injury crashes on these roads are much greater.

In 2011, there were 201 youth drivers (ages 15 to 19) that were involved in fatal and serious injury crashes throughout Idaho. This represents 10.7 percent of all drivers in fatal and serious injury crashes, yet the total number of licensed youth drivers is 5.8 percent. While 69 percent of all crashes involving youthful drivers occurred in urban areas, 78 percent of the fatal crashes involving youthful drivers occurred in rural areas.

Finally for 2011, the economic cost of crashes involving youthful drivers in Idaho was $451.4 million, and this represents 21 percent of the total cost of crashes. These statistics give cause to pause and reflect.

I want to share a highway safety program that is coming to northern Idaho that directly involves youth drivers. It is the Ford Driving Skills for Life and will be delivered in Coeur d’ Alene on Oct. 16, 17.

Ford Motor Company contributes its valuable resources in an effort to eliminate death and serious injury on all Idaho roadways by bringing the Ford Driving Skills for Life to states like Idaho. This program takes four vehicles to a school where an entire day is dedicated to enhancing driving skills.

The day kicks off with a school assembly focused on the importance of safe driving skills, then moves into hour-long, hands-on driving modules where students participate each hour. The law enforcement community is engaged and assists with this program, and students are able to interact with the officers comfortably and work toward establishment of positive community relationships.

ITD’s Office of Highway Safety supports this valuable program and appreciates the opportunity to participate. Proven projects of this nature contribute to our goal of moving Toward Zero Deaths in Idaho.