Insurance Federation of Minnesota

IFM Update
June 2001

'I Promise' Program Holds Promise

Teen drivers in the United States cost more than $32-billion in economic loss each year because of auto crashes. A new program hopes to significantly cut that amount, if it can get enough support to become widely used.

The "I Promise Program" is the brainchild of Canadian social worker Gary Direnfeld. It couples a written contract between teen drivers and their parents with a feedback program using bumper stickers.

Direnfeld says he was inspired to start the program one day when he was cut off in traffic by a teen driver, then looked up to see a "How's My Driving" bumper sticker on the back of a commercial truck.

The 'I Promise' bumper stickers would urge motorists to report a teen's poor driving behavior to a centralized data center. Reported violations would trigger a letter sent to the teen driver's parents.

Direnfeld says a similar program in the commercial trucking industry helped one insurer record a 22 percent drop in accidents with a 53 percent reduction in dollars lost. He notes that even if the program cuts teen driving losses by 10 percent, it will save more than $3-billion a year in claims.

The allure of such savings has helped the program gain a foothold with some insurers. Direnfeld says he hopes the program will eventually enjoy widespread acceptance. Already, tips on improving the program have been pouring in.

Direnfeld says the high success rate and low cost of the program will hopefully spur insurers to distribute information on the contract when teens sign up for their initial insurance coverage. "Insurers should see a 700% return on investment using figures similar to commercial vehicle monitoring services, however, the social return is immeasurable," he said recently.

Additional details about the program and a copy of the contact are available online at www.papyrusgraphix.com/ipp

Direnfeld is available to answer questions at gary123@sympatico.ca