Michael_Squires@lvrj.com
ROAD WARRIOR: Program encourages teens and their
parents to be better drivers
Like most parents,
The Canadian social worker knew the statistics: the
leading cause of death and debilitating injury to teen-agers is automobile
accidents.
But the statistics were more than just numbers to
him.
For most of the 1990s Direnfeld was the executive
director of the Centre For Traumatic Brain Injury
Rehabilitation in
So as his son, Brennan, approached driving age,
Direnfeld wondered how he could help him avoid a similar fate.
"All of the sudden everything became very
personal in my concern with my own son's safety," he said. "But I
couldn't find anything good with respect to risk
reduction for teen drivers."
The
answer came as he was driving to work one morning. A teen-ager behind the wheel
of a Camaro cut Direnfeld off. After gaining his
composure, the next thing in Direnfeld's line of vision was a "How is my
driving?" sticker pasted on the rear of a large truck.
Direnfeld
thought at the time, "What I'd really like is to report the teen to his
parents."
So
he started a North American crash prevention program, "I Promise,"
and Internet site (www.ipromiseprogram.com), which allow motorists to do just
that.
The
program encourages parents and teen-agers to agree to be better drivers and
provides a way, through phoned-in reports from motorists, to verify both
parties are keeping their side of the bargain.
Direnfeld
admits he isn't the first to provide a toll-free number to report on teen
driving. But he said his program is unique because before any sticker goes in
the back window, parents and children sign a contract, both promising to be
better drivers.
"It's
one of the few contracts that looks at parents as role
models," Direnfeld said. "These rules are as important for you as
they are for your teen."
A
recent study shows he's right. Researchers from the University of North
Carolina's Highway Safety Research Center and the Insurance Institute for
Highway Safety examined the records of 155,349 North Carolina drivers and found
teen-agers were 22 percent more likely to have been in a crash if their parents
had been involved in three or more crashes, when compared with teen drivers
whose parents had clean driving records. Basically, if you drive like an idiot,
odds are so will your offspring.
Of
course, a contract is only as good as the parties' ability to hold each other
accountable. That's where the toll-free number comes in.
All
calls are taken by a professional call center and the comments are sent only to
the family. The consequences of a bad report are dealt with as the parent and
child previously agreed in their contract.
"If
you're a decent driver you'll get no calls," he said. "If you're
courteous you might get some complimentary calls."
Direnfeld
said response to the 2-year-old program has been "wonderful."
Insurance
companies and safety advocates are beginning to take note. One major insurer
offers a discount to teens on the program and another covers half of the annual
$49 cost. And he has been asked to make a presentation at a World Health
Organization conference on safe communities in May.
He
is in negotiations with several insurance companies to pick up the tab for the
teen drivers they insure who agree to participate in the program.
He
believes widespread enrollment could save society, and insurers, billions
through a small reduction in crashes involving teen-age drivers. Crashes
involving drivers between 15 and 20 years old cost $32.2 billion, according to
the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
"My hope is it will eventually be made available at no cost to the participant," he said.
Contact:
I Promise Program
20
(905) 628-4847
gary123@sympatico.ca
www.ipromiseprogram.com
http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2002/Mar-03-Sun-2002/news/18216055.html