by Erie Insurance on June 7, 2019
Source: https://www.erieinsurance.com/blog/teensmart
For many teens, getting a driver’s license is a prized rite of passage. But with drivers age 16 to 19 involved in more accidents than any other age group – it’s also a risky and nerve-wracking time for parents.
So, what’s a safety-minded family to do?
Enter teenSMART®, an award-winning crash reduction training program from ADEPT Driver®. A new partnership between Erie Insurance and ADEPT Driver offers special discounted access to the program to teen drivers covered by ERIE policies in Wisconsin and Virginia.
Read more: What To Know About Insuring a Teen Driver
Using advanced behavioral science and research, teenSMART offers youthful drivers realistic and challenging driving simulations. Teens that complete the computer-based course learn skills proven to dramatically reduce teen driver crash frequency and severity.
Even better? Teens who complete the program may be eligible for an auto insurance premium reduction when they’ve finished.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
The teenSMART training is divided into short 30-minute chapters that teens can complete at their own pace on their home computer. It takes about 8 hours to complete. The program is designed to address these six behavioral and social factors that cause 90% of all teen car crashes:
- Visual Search
- Hazard Detection
- Speed Adjustment
- Space Management
- Risk Perception
- Lifestyle Issues
The curriculum is reinforced with in-car driving exercises and other activities for parents (or another licensed adult, age 25 or older) and teens to complete together. Learn more about the curriculum on the teenSMART website.
ADEPT’s teenSMART program has been proven to reduce crash frequency by up to 30% and bodily injury by over 50%. Read more about the research in this whitepaper from the Traffic Injury Research Foundation.
ABOUT THE NEW PARTNERSHIP
“ADEPT Driver incorporates cutting-edge behavioral science to improve driver behavior and reduce teen drivers’ risk of collisions,” said Jon Bloom, vice president of personal auto, Erie Insurance. “One of the key components of ERIE’s mission is to provide as near perfect protection as is humanly possible. Offering our customers proven tools to protect their new driver, when they are at the greatest risk of injury, helps us fulfill this mission. We encourage all teen drivers to complete teenSMART training.”
“We are delighted to partner with Erie Insurance to reduce teen driver crashes,” said Dr. Richard Harkness, CEO of ADEPT Driver. “ERIE is a premiere brand and insurance industry leader. We are proud to join with them to improve safety on our roads and highways by making teenSMART available to their customers.”
HOW CAN I SIGN UP?
This program is currently available to ERIE customers in Wisconsin and Virginia. If you’re an ERIE customer, contact your local ERIE agent for more details or visit the teenSMART website.
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