"Driving Skills For Life” Event Comes To Town

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In response to the growing awareness about teen fatalities and driver distraction, the Ford Motor Company Fund, along with the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), announced a $1,000,000 expansion of Ford Driving Skills for Life (DSFL) with a 30 City National Tour.

“Inexperience is the leading cause of crashes in young drivers, and this program delivers the key skill sets that will increase their knowledge, confidence and, ultimately, their safety,” said Sue Cischke, group vice president, Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering with Ford Motor Company, in a statement.

As part of the tour, West Forsyth High School was chosen and will participate in this initiative on Thurs., Feb. 24.

During the day students will have the opportunity to engage in hands-on modules with professional drivers that will equip them with the fundamental skills necessary for safe driving.

The goal of the program is to educate and build the skill set of young driver’s in four key areas: driver distraction, speed space management and vehicle handling and hazard recognition. These four areas are contributors to more than 60 percent of teen crashes.

“Ford is passionate about helping young drivers learn the rules of the road, better manage distractions behind the wheel and help make America’s roads safer for all of us,” said Cischke.

In addition to hands-on events, the program offers learning tools such as an interactive Web site (www.drivingskillsforlife.com) with learning modules, quizzes, car care and driving tip videos and games.

“While teen driving safety is a key priority, too often our communities lack the resources to conduct these types of hands-on, high-tech trainings. We are grateful to Ford for helping fill these critical gaps,” said GHSA Chairman Vernon F. Betkey, Jr.