July 17, 2012

Rep. Anielski Speaks to Teen Drivers at Ford Driving Skills for Life Event

State Representative Marlene Anielski (R-Walton Hills) attended and spoke at the Ford Driving Skills for Life (DSFL) teen driving programs, which was held at Northfield Park. The program is a partnership between the Ford Motor Company Fund, the Ohio Department of Public Safety’s Office of Criminal Justice Services and Westfield Insurance. The program offered safe-driving clinics to eligible Ohio teenage drivers in Cincinnati, Columbus and Cleveland.

"The Ford Driving Skills for Life is a program in which I was happy to participate," said Representative Anielski. "The safe driving skills for our youth on the road are of the utmost importance not only for themselves, but to other drivers as well. It gave the youth an opportunity to be in potentially dangerous encounters and taught them how to correctly handle those situations safely. The half day event with the hands on experience was invaluable to them."


The DSFL program provided 1,200 Ohio teen drivers with advanced safe-driving skills practice that develops skills in four areas: motorist distraction, speed/space management, van handling, and hazard recognition. The teens were partnered with professional drivers from around the country that instructed them in safe driving techniques. The teens also received certificates that potentially could lower their insurance rates because of the training received. Orange thumb rings were distributed to remind the teens to not text and drive, but instead look up, slow up and hang up.

According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, there were 327 Ohio teens killed in vehicle crashes from 2009 to 2011, 184 of whom were driving. Teenage drivers are in three times as many deadly crashes as other drivers and have the highest incidence of fatal distracted driving.

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