AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety Offers Teen Driver Training Technology for Holiday Gift Giving Season

WASHINGTON--Just in time for the official start of the holiday shopping season – Black Friday - the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety (AAAFTS) is making available Driver-ZED, a DVD-based, game-like software program that can help teenagers become safer drivers and teach them to avoid life-threatening vehicle crashes.

Incorporating a game-like feel, Driver-ZED should be at the top of recommended gift lists for any family with driving-age children, as vehicle crashes are the number one killer of teens in America. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2003 approximately 44 percent of all teen deaths were caused by driving crashes, and it is estimated that one out of every five licensed 16-year-old drivers will be in a vehicle crash.

“We developed Driver-ZED specifically to teach teens how to handle the risks they are most likely to encounter on the road by preparing them to make split-second decisions,” said Peter Kissinger, AAAFTS president and CEO. “We believe Driver-ZED is a critical tool that will complement and supplement a teen’s driver training.”

Driver-ZED takes teens where textbooks and videos can’t – into the virtual driver’s seat. From this realistic, first-person perspective, teens navigate 100 live-action scenarios across highway, city, country and work-zone environments. Through interacting with the program, teens learn how to manage a wide range of risks, ranging from a child chasing a ball into the street to avoiding dangerous tailgaters. Teens stand to benefit even more from Driver-ZED when parents use the program along with them.

“It would take most people several years of real driving to gain this variety of experiences,” said Kissinger. “Instead, Driver-ZED enables young people to navigate these situations from the safety of their home or classroom, where a mistake results in a lower score rather than a real world crash.”

AAAFTS designed Driver-ZED to be highly appealing to young people. It features fast-paced, full-motion graphics, a challenging scoring system, and teen narration rather than voiceovers from preachy adults. Additionally, the program provides tips on important topics every young driver should know, including driving around large trucks, night driving and using anti-lock brakes properly.

Driver-ZED retails for $24.95 plus shipping, and is available to the public via the Driver-ZED Web site (www.driverzed.org), or its toll-free telephone number 800-305-SAFE. Schools, community organizations and other groups interested in purchasing larger quantities will be eligible for reduced pricing.

Members of the media can obtain a sample copy of Driver-ZED for review by contacting Fairley Mahlum at 202-638-5944 (x4) or fmahlum@aaafoundation.org. Additional fact sheets about teen driving, graduated driver licensing and Driver-ZED are also available.

About AAAFTS

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety is dedicated to saving lives and reducing injuries on the roads. It is a not-for-profit, publicly-supported charitable educational and research organization. Since 1947, the Foundation has funded over 110 research projects designed to discover the causes of traffic crashes, prevent them, and minimize injuries when they do occur. We have used this research to develop dozens of focused, high-impact educational materials for drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists and other road users. For more information, please visit www.aaafoundation.org.