Agents and brokers can now promote teen car safety program.
October 12, 2001

by -- I Promise Program

Car crashes are the leading cause of permanent injury and death in teens across North America. The I Promise Program, a new initiative to reduce the crash rate in teens is now available for agents and brokers to promote when writing new teen policyholder business.

“We learned that agents and brokers take their role quite seriously when writing new teen business. Many invite the teen with their parents for a meeting prior to providing the insurance policy,” says Gary Direnfeld, founder and executive director of the program.

“They want to make sure the teen understands their obligation to themselves, their parents and the community to be responsible road users. This creates an opportune time to promote the I Promise Program and while getting families to register right on the spot,” Direnfeld explains.

The I Promise Program helps parents and teens come to agreement on issues that relate most to teen car crashes. Together they discuss, negotiate and complete a parent-teen mutual safe driving contract. The document provides the basis of a social contract between parent and teen and encourages discussion on those issues that relate most to the risk of car crashes. To seal the contract a decal is placed in the rear window of the car that displays a toll free phone number. This enables community reports on driver behaviour. Calls are taken by a professional call center. Reports are mailed to the contact person registered only for the information too be managed as per the pre-negotiated terms of the contract. This process facilitates accountability between parent and teen and to the general community with regard to responsible road use.

Agents and brokers can go the Promise Program website, www.ipromiseprogram.com and print out a U.S. or Canadian registration form to enroll the teen and parents. Parents and teen complete the form and mail with payment to the I Promise Program where the information provided is added to a database in the event a call is received. At the same time, a parent-teen mutual safe driving contract is mailed to the family as well as the rear window decal that displays the toll free number.

The initiative has received high praise from numerous organizations and government offices from 8 countries around the world. Over 80 letters of support are available for viewing on the web site. The goal of the program is to reduce teen related car crashes by 10%, which would equate to a reduction of over 800 deaths and 40,000 serious bodily injuries across North America annually.

Several major insurance companies are now considering making the program available through their policy to reduce their own loss ratios and provide a customer and community service.

Gary Direnfeld, Executive Director
I Promise Program
20 Suter Crescent,
Dundas, Ontario, Canada
L9H 6R5

(905) 628-4847
gary123@sympatico.ca
www.ipromiseprogram.com
All content of the releases listed in the Press Room is the sole responsibility of the client.