Every 16 hours a California teenager is killed in a car crash. In an effort to help teens cope with the dangers of the road, AAA of Northern California is launching Driver-ZED, a new computer program designed to teach teens lifesaving driving skills.
“Teen drivers are often inexperienced and overconfident,” said Sean Comey, spokesperson for AAA of Northern California. “Driver-ZED is designed to help teens test their skills and prepare for potentially deadly driving situations before they face them for real on the road.”
Driver-ZED is an interactive computer DVD-ROM that allows teen drivers to gain experience at recognizing dangerous driving situations in a safe virtual environment.
The software offers teens more than 80 different live-action scenarios in a wide variety of driving venues – on highways, in towns and rural areas, and through roadwork zones.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a 16-year-old is four times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than a driver who is at least 21.
Research by the California Highway Patrol found that teenage drivers comprise only four percent of the state’s drivers, but account for almost 10 percent of its traffic fatalities.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that 548 young people ages 16 to 20 were killed in car crashes in California in 2004.
“Whether or not you’re the parent of a teen, these numbers are cause for anxiety,” said Comey. “Every motorist in California shares the roads with young and inexperienced drivers. It’s in the best interest of all drivers to make sure that teens get the very best driver training available.”
Copies of Driver-ZED can be ordered at www.csaa.com. The software is free for members of AAA of Northern California, Nevada and Utah. The cost for nonmembers is $7. AAA is also donating copies to all high schools in Northern California.
