Concerned Parents Want to Know `HOW'S MY TEEN DRIVING?'; New Service Provides the Link Between Parents and Their Teen Drivers.

OAKHURST, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 13, 1998--Today HOW'S MY TEEN DRIVING?, a new service designed to safeguard teen drivers, makes its debut.

Cofounders Renee Kauffman and Debra Dunn, inspired by maternal concern for their own teenagers, have designed a service for parents and guardians to protect their teen drivers. HOW'S MY TEEN DRIVING? keeps a close eye on teenage drivers, making driving safer not only for the teen driver but for everyone else on the roads as well.

The Hard Facts

The statistics are alarming. Traffic accidents are the leading cause of teen deaths in the United States. In California alone, nearly 18,000 teen drivers are injured or killed every year. Experts say most of these accidents stem from a combination of a teen's inexperience, immaturity and lack of basic driving skills. A recent Reader's Digest survey seems to prove these points -- the survey showed that 57% of teens admitted to having been in a car where there were more passengers than seatbelts and 53% admitted they'd been in a car that went 20 mph or more over the speed limit. It's no wonder the National Highway Safety Board states that teens are five times more likely to be involved in an auto accident than the general public.

The Idea Behind HOW'S MY TEEN DRIVING?

It's chilling statistics like these that prompted cofounders Renee Kauffman and Debra Dunn to take action. Renee and Debra were determined to prevent their children and the children of their community from becoming one of the statistics. Knowing that they couldn't keep an eye on their teens all the time sparked the idea of starting a program that could act as a sort of "guardian angel" watching over teen drivers.

HOW'S-MY-TEEN-DRIVING? is based on the notion that it truly does take a village to raise a child. California allows teens to drive at the age of 16. This is a thrilling yet dangerous time for every young driver. That first taste of freedom that comes with a new driver's license can be incredibly intoxicating but without the proper precautions it can be deadly. Renee' and Debra believe the entire community shares a responsibility to provide its teens with every safeguard possible.

How It Works

Each subscriber to HOW's MY TEEN DRIVING? is issued a special bumper sticker with an exclusive identification number to affix to the bumper or rear window of your teen driven vehicle. The bumper sticker provides other drivers with an easy to read toll free number (877-let-me-know) to call and report on a teen's driving -- good or bad. HOW'S MY TEEN DRIVING? is staffed 24 hours a day and all calls are kept confidential and reported exclusively to the parents.

Affordable Pricing

The annual fee for this service is $49 for the first vehicle and $5 for each additional vehicle within the same family. The founders of HOW'S MY TEEN DRIVING feel so strongly that all families should have access to this service that they are making applications available to lower income families and adjusting the fee to their ability to pay.

The Future of HOW'S MY TEEN DRIVING

The ultimate goal of HOW'S MY TEEN DRIVING? is to provide this service to all families with teen drivers. "The insurance industry already offers a 15% 'good student' discount incentive. I believe they will also see the benefit of offering similar discounts to families subscribing to our service," said cofounder Renee Kauffman.

Strong support and enthusiasm has come from the surrounding community through schools, churches and service clubs. Even "tagged" teens grudgingly admit having the sticker makes a difference. Casey, a 17 year-old senior at Yosemite Union High School and one of HOW'S MY TEEN DRIVING? charter members reflects on his initial impressions of the service, "At first I was uneasy, thinking everybody would turn me in, but that never happened. Maybe it's because I've been paying more attention. I know if I do something stupid, my mom will find out about it."

About HOW'S MY TEEN DRIVING?

Headquartered in the Sierra Nevada foothills at Yosemite's south entrance, HOW'S MY TEEN DRIVING? has targeted California as their initial market, though plans are already in place for going national.