Driving Skills for Life


Standing, left to right: Jim Vella, president of Ford Motor Company Fund; Chris Murphy, Director, California Office of Traffic Safety and Chairman, GHSA; and Alexie Lawson, 16, of Independence High School. Seated: Stephanie McIntosh, 17, of Loomis, CA, practicing The Simulator at a Driving Skills for Life event in Sacramento.

Driving Skills for Life Logo
Vehicle crashes are the #1 killer of teenagers in America, claiming nearly 7,000 lives per year. Driving Skills for Life, a program developed by Ford Motor Company, GHSA and safety experts, seeks to reduce the number of driving injuries and fatalities by helping newly licensed drivers develop the skills necessary for safe driving. The program includes:

  • Driving Skills for Life Website
  • Ride and Drives, a series of free, hands-on driving events.
  • Summer Camps where teen drivers and their parents learn critical driving skills.
  • An Educational Kit that has been sent to over 20,000 high schools. The kit include a teacher's guide, entertaining video, brochure, poster and a take-home component so parents can be involved.

Driving Skills for Life focuses on four skills experts agree are most important in preventing crashes, when combined with zero tolerance for alcohol use and the importance of seat belt use:

  • Hazard recognition - anticipating, recognizing and reacting appropriately to hazards
  • Vehicle handling - safe vehicle handling skills under a range of road circumstances
  • Space management - maintaining safe spacing with other traffic
  • Speed management - managing speed to be right for conditions

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