Nevada DMV Launches Teen Driver Safety Program with Help from State Farm®

LAS VEGAS, July 28, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles has teamed up with State Farm to launch a new program that provides parents and guardians with a simple, easy-to-follow plan designed to help teens develop safe driving habits.

"The Parent's Supervised Driving Program marks another milestone in Nevada's efforts to keep teen drivers safe," said DMV Director Terri Albertson. "It's a great way for teens to learn the driving skills they need and a valuable refresher for the parents."

The program features a 52-page printed guide that focuses on the role of the parent in the teen driver education process and encourages parents and teens to drive together in a variety of weather conditions, unfamiliar settings, city and heavy traffic routes, and also various times of day.

A copy will be given to every driver age 16 or 17 when they pass the DMV written test to obtain an instruction permit.

A fun, and useful supplement to the printed guide is the RoadReady mobile app. It easily and accurately tracks the required 50 hours of behind-the-wheel driving experience. The downloadable RoadReady log is accepted by the DMV as proof of the required training.

Last year, more than 11,000 Nevada teens sought instruction permits, and the department wanted to provide parents with a resource geared toward skill development and expanding the conditions and time that teens drive with their parents prior to driving independently.

"Getting a driver's license is a special moment in a teen's life, but it often causes increased anxiety for parents," said Ed Gold, State Farm Advertising Director. "Research tells us the single most important thing parents can do to help their teens stay safe on the road is to provide as much supervised practice behind the wheel as possible. We hope this new resource will help parents and teens make the most of this time together."

According to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and a State Farm study, Driving Through the Eyes of Teens, teen drivers whose parents are highly involved in the teen driver education process were:

• half as likely to get in a car crash,
• 71 percent less likely to drive intoxicated,
• 30 percent less likely to use a cell phone while driving,
• and twice as likely to wear seatbelts.

The curriculum is developed by Safe Roads Alliance, along with safety experts, and the guidebooks are published by J.F. Griffin Publishing.

"Parents are the key to assuring the safety of teen drivers" said Emily Stein, president of Safe Roads Alliance. "The more involved the parents are at this important phase when a teen is learning to drive, the more likely it will be that these teens will not be involved in a collision once they are driving on their own."

The free program guide is available at DMV offices around the state and the Nevada DMV website at dmvnv.com/teens. The RoadReady mobile app is available for iPhones at the App Store.

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SOURCE State Farm