Members of the MHSRC are presented with a check for $25,300 from State Farm to help protect young drivers in MHSRC’s Teen Collision Avoidance Initiative. Photo by Nick Lenz ’11
Teen drivers will have a crash course opportunity to experience the risks of distracted driving thanks to a $25,000 grant.
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The Minnesota Highway Safety and Research Center’s Teen Collision Avoidance Initiative at St. Cloud State University has been selected for a $25,000 grant from State Farm to help protect young drivers.
“(We) have implemented distracted driving content into all of our curriculum both in skills-based training and in the classroom,” said Larry Nadeau, director of the Minnesota Highway Safety and Research Center (MHSRC).
April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month and marks the first of four Youth/Novice Crash Avoidance Course offerings this spring and summer at the MSHRC: April 25, May 16, June 27 or July 23.
Automobile crashes are a leading cause of death for young drivers. The grant funds the opportunity for teen drivers to attend an advanced driving range and participate in skills training. Teens drive squad cars on a closed course under the supervision of professional instructors.
While the teens are learning advanced driving skills, their parents spend about two hours in the classroom learning about the risks of teen driving.
A group of teens get ready to drive squad cars for the collision avoidance maneuver. Courtesy MHSRC
“The ultimate goal is to reduce the number and extent of distracted driving crashes,” Nadeau said. “We also give the young drivers the skills to recover from potential high risk crashes.”
Distracted driving contributes to one in four crashes in Minnesota.
According to the Minnesota Department of Health, driving related fatalities are the second leading cause of death for people ages 15-17. Nationwide, the Center for Disease Control lists motor vehicle crashes as the leading cause of death for teens.
In Minnesota it is illegal for drivers to read, compose or send texts and email, or to access the Internet while the vehicle is in motion or a part of traffic, which includes at a stop light or stuck traffic.
A check presentation from State Farm is scheduled for 3 p.m. April 23 at the MHSRC in St. Cloud. This is the second consecutive year the MHSRC has won the award.
Courtesy MHSRC.
