Curbing distractions: auto insurers are helping teens become safer drivers.[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] With teen auto fatalities at a crisis point in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. , the teen-driver safety market is opening up as the newest battlefield in the highly-competitive auto insurance segment. Several carriers already have launched new products and initiatives aimed at reducing the number of teen deaths, anal more are in the offing coming; arriving in the foreseeable future. visible but not nearby. See also: Offing Offing . Auto accidents are the leading cause of teenage deaths in the United States. The National Safety Council, calling the issue "a national crisis," noted that 44% of all teen deaths result from crashes each year; the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA, often pronounced "nit-suh") is an agency of the Executive Branch of the U.S. Government, part of the Department of Transportation. noted that nearly 6,000 teens are killed each year, with more than 300,000 teens injured in·jure tr.v. in·jured, in·jur·ing, in·jures 1. To cause physical harm to; hurt. 2. To cause damage to; impair. 3. . Now, several major auto insurers are launching everything from teen-parent driving contracts and enhanced driver's education The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please [ improve this article] or discuss the issue on the talk page. videos to high-tech, in-car cameras and tracking units, trying not only to reduce the number of teen fatalities, but differentiate themselves from the competition as well. The only proven method to reduce teen auto fatalities has been the introduction of state graduated drivers licensing laws, or GDLs, said Justin McNaull, director of state relations for AAA AAA: see American Automobile Association. (Triple A) A common single-cell battery used in a myriad of electronic devices of all variety. Like its double A (AA) cousin, it provides 1.5 volts of DC power. When used in series, the voltage is multiplied. . GDL GDL Graduated Driver (s) License GDL Graduated Driver Licensing GDL Gas Diffusion Layer GDL Graduate Diploma in Law (UK) GdL Gruppo di Lavoro (Italian) laws vary among the states; many prohibit nighttime driving, driving on a learner's permit Noun 1. learner's permit - a document authorizing the bearer to learn to drive an automobile license, permit, licence - a legal document giving official permission to do something without a licensed adult present, and driving with teen passengers. In each state, as the student driver progresses, his or her restrictions are eased gradually. AAA has lobbied for GDL through its License to Learn program, which was launched in 1997 in eight states. By 2005, all 50 states had signed up for some form of GDL, McNaull said. A recent study sponsored by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that 16-year-old drivers were crashing at lower rates in one particular jurisdiction that restricted nighttime driving and driving with young passengers, than in another jurisdiction that did not. McNaull said he is aware of pro-GDL lobbying efforts made by several insurers, but he'd like to see more. "Insurers have significant lobbying resources in the states," he said. "There are real opportunities for insurance lobbyists, with the relationships they have, to help move bills." Gaining Speed Competition in the personal auto segment has been accelerating recently. "It's certainly much more competitive than it's been in personal-lines auto from the perspective of companies wanting to differentiate themselves beyond just price," said Richard Attanasio, an analyst with A.M. Best Co. "They're getting away from having a commodity-like product and differentiating the services they provide." GDL laws are one of various factors the personal auto sector is pointing to with regard to reduced frequency of loss, Attanasio said. And while personal-lines auto insurers may be vying for position, there's certainly more to it than that. "If they can improve the quality of the risks they write, that's going to benefit them as well," Attanasio said. "I think part of it is marketing, but I don't think all of it is." Liberty Mutual Group and SADD--Students Against Destructive Decisions--began conducting a joint teen-driving study in 2000. "The key is not to just gather information and regurgitate re·gur·gi·tate v. 1. To rush or surge back. 2. To cause to pour back, especially to cast up partially digested food. re·gur it out in order to make some sort of splash," said Dave Melton mel·ton n. A heavy woolen cloth used chiefly for making overcoats and hunting jackets. [After Melton Mowbray, an urban district of central England.] , director of transportation technical services for Liberty Mutual. "We know that young, inexperienced in·ex·pe·ri·ence n. 1. Lack of experience. 2. Lack of the knowledge gained from experience. in drivers provide a risk on the road. We need to help parents understand how to address that issue." Many carriers firmly support stronger GDL laves. Ohio recently passed a law where a student driver may have only one other person in the vehicle until age 17, unless it's a family member, said Jani Davis, director of the Westfield Insurance Westfield Insurance, the primary subsidiary of Westfield Group, is a multi-line provider of business property & liability insurance, personal lines insurance (including auto, homeowner's and specialty), agribusiness insurance, and surety bonds. Foundation, a division of Westfield Insurance, near Cleveland. Such laws "take the policing out of the parents' hands, which is very inconsistent," Davis said. "Personally, as the parent of two 14-year-olds and a 17-year-old, I hope that more and more states pass GDL laws." "It's a tough position for a parent," said Laurette Stiles Stiles can refer to: People
Westfield Insurance entered into a year-long partnership in February with the Governors Highway Safety Association and the Ford Motor Co. in Taking the Lead, based on Ford's long-standing program, Driving Skills for Life. The partnership sponsors a three-day teen driving camp in specified cities, and Westfield has participated in Pittsburgh, Nashville and Peoria, Ill. "From an insurance perspective, we're talking to Noun 1. talking to - a lengthy rebuke; "a good lecture was my father's idea of discipline"; "the teacher gave him a talking to" lecture, speech rebuke, reprehension, reprimand, reproof, reproval - an act or expression of criticism and censure; "he had to students at the camp about the choices they make and how these choices affect their lives," said Terri Grimm, manager of marketing communications Marketing communications (or marcom) are messages and related media used to communicate with a market. Those who practice advertising, branding, direct marketing, graphic design, marketing, packaging, promotion, publicity, sponsorship, public relations, sales, sales for Westfield Insurance. "You want to make good, decisive connections between these kids and driving." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Insurance companies have long felt it is their responsibility to share such safety information with the public, said Janice Minshall, assistant vice president of corporate communications Corporate communications is the process of facilitating information and knowledge exchanges with internal and key external groups and individuals that have a direct relationship with an enterprise. at Geico, a division of Berkshire Hathaway Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRKA, NYSE: BRKB) is a conglomerate holding company headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, U.S., that oversees and manages a number of subsidiary companies. . "I think that's something that we as an industry have been behind since we began to see, in fact, that some of the states that had stronger [GDL] programs were showing actual reductions in the deaths of teen drivers," Minshall said. "We're in a position where we have a lot of information, and it's a corporate responsibility, a social responsibility, to get that word out." AAA produced a parent-to-parent driving agreement in 2006 to help parents discuss teen driving with other parents. Liberty Mutual and Allstate have produced similar parent-to-teen contracts to help families start up that conversation at home. Liberty Mutual found that teens who regularly talk to their parents about driving safety are less likely to drink; to drink and drive; to drive with multiple passengers; or to speed, Melton said. And they're more likely to engage in such safe behaviors as wearing a seat belt, he said. Allstate's Duchak said she's already provided her 16-year-old daughter with "way too much" safe-driving information. "You can't start that conversation too early," State Farm's Stiles said. "You can start it too late." Big Parent Is Watching American Family Insurance American Family Insurance Group (aka "AmFam") is a private mutual company which focuses on property, casualty and auto insurance, but also offers commercial insurance, life, health, and homeowners coverage, as well as investment and retirement-planning products. of Madison, Wis., is partnering with San Diego-based DriveCam Inc. to provide in-car cameras that give parents a fly-on-the-wall view of their teenagers' driving habits. The regional P/C mutual insurer launched its Teen Safe Driver Program in March, and in August expanded the pilot to eight states. "It's dramatic stuff." said AFI AFI American Film Institute AFI Awaiting Further Instructions AFI Armed Forces Insurance AFI A Fire Inside (band) AFI Air Force Instruction AFI Australian Film Institute AFI Agencia Federal de Investigación spokesman Steve Witmer. "It scares the bejeebers out of you as a parent to look at it and see a child who may be talking on the phone, text messaging Sending short messages to a smartphone, pager, PDA or other handheld device. Text messaging implies sending short messages generally no more than a couple of hundred characters in length. or fiddling with the music, and the next thing you know they're faced with some situation they have to react quickly to." AIG AIG addressee indicator group (US DoD) AIG American International Group, Inc AiG Answers in Genesis (religious group in defense of Scripture) AIG Artificial Intelligence Group AIG Australian Industry Group Auto's Teen GPS Program, launched in April, allows parents to monitor teens in real rime via the Internet. The company is aiming to enroll 300 customers in its pilot program by year-end, said John Cantwell, vice president of underwriting and product development. A GPS, or global positioning system Global Positioning System: see navigation satellite. Global Positioning System (GPS) Precise satellite-based navigation and location system originally developed for U.S. military use. , is a wireless tracking and mapping technology. Parents can be notified via e-mail, text message or phone if their teen exceeds pre-established maximum speed and distance thresholds. "I had it installed in my wife's car as a pre-pilot, before we rolled it out to our customers," Cantwell said. "She got lost one time at night and called me, and I was able to pull her up on the site and give her directions." A similar tracking program, "Teensurance, Powered by Safeco" was launched nationwide in June. It's the initial product of Safeco's Open Seas Organization, an in-house R&D division created to spearhead innovation, said Matt Gertmenian, assistant vice president for Teensurance. Safeco's GPS-based "Safety Beacon" gives parents options to set boundaries with their teens anal allows them to change those boundaries over time. Teensurance includes 24/7 roadside assistance and remote door-unlock capability. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] AAA's Driver-ZED program includes a DVD DVD: see digital versatile disc. DVD in full digital video disc or digital versatile disc Type of optical disc. The DVD represents the second generation of compact-disc (CD) technology. with some 100 roadway scenarios for teens to "drive" through on a computer screen before they encounter these conditions on the roads. Geico also is using technology to help teens develop better driving skills via its Real Teen Driving Program, featuring an online video of teens driving while filmed by a hidden camera. The teens thought they were "pretty good" drivers until they watched it and saw themselves run stop signs, goof off v. i. 1. To shirk one's duties; to avoid work by relaxing or performing idle activities. with friends in the back seat and fall prey to other distractions. "It really increased their awareness of their personal understanding of safe driving behavior," Minshall said. One student asked, "You're not going to show my mom, are you?" Insurers say these high-tech advances help kids deal with peer pressure. "They don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. how to interact with the [teen] driver and maintain their own self-esteem. They don't know how to ask the driver to slow down," Stiles said. "Those are the very real issues that teens told us they are dealing with. They really do want their parents to help them to figure out how to save face and stay safe." Still other programs, like State Farm's "Project Ignition;" the Allstate Foundation's "Keep the Drive;" the Allstate Company's "Drive It Right;" and Liberty Mutual's "The Road Ahead: Stay Safe at the Wheel" use teens to relate driving issues to other teens. Watch a video about this article on bestreview.com/videos. Learn More Liberty Mutual Insurance Cos. A.M. Best Company # 00060 Distribution: Direct, independent agents and brokers, captive agents. Westfield Group The Westfield Group is a multinational company that owns shopping centres in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Westfield shopping centres are typically branded with the name Westfield or Westfield Shoppingtown in their name. A.M. Best Company # 00730 Distribution: Some 1,200 independent agencies. State Farm Group A.M. Best Company # 00088 Distribution: Exclusive agencies. Allstate Insurance Group A.M. Best Company # 00008 Distribution: Exclusive agencies, independent financial professionals. Nationwide Group A.M. Best Company # 05987 Distribution: Independent contractors A person who contracts to do work for another person according to his or her own processes and methods; the contractor is not subject to another's control except for what is specified in a mutually binding agreement for a specific job. . Geico General Insurance Company A.M. Best Company # 01852 Distribution: Direct. American Family Insurance Group A.M. Best Company # 00124 Distribution: Agencies. American International Group
American International Group, Inc. (AIG) (NYSE: AIG; TYO: 8685 ) is a major American insurance corporation based in New York City. Inc. A.M. Best Company # 18540 Distribution: Multiple distribution channels including independent producers, brokerage, career agents and banks. Safeco Insurance Companies A.M. Best Company # 00078 Distribution: Independent agents. AAA Mid-Atlantic The not-for-profit AAA Mid-Atlantic, among the largest of the Clubs in the AAA National Federation, serves nearly four million members in a territory stretching from Northwest New Jersey to Richmond, Va. Insurance Group A.M. Best Company # 18168 Distribution: Mainly captive agents, alternate distribution. For ratings and other financial strength information visit www.ambest.com. * The Trend: Personal-auto insurers are rolling out new safety initiatives aimed at teenage drivers as well as their parent. * At Issue: Modern distractions, such as cell phones and text messaging, are a major cause of teen crashes--the leading killer of U.S. teens. * The Big Picture: Insurer support proven lifesaving programs, such as graduated licensing laws, and new products to help parents enforce driving rules and relieve teen peer pressure. Teens Behind the Wheel 20% of 11th graders reported crashing a car in the past year 61% of teens admit to risky behaviors while driving 32% send text messages 43% read text messages 51% talk on a cell phone 11% drink and drive 40% exceed the speed limit 58% drive with teen passengers 66% care about their parents' opinion on cell phone use while driving 56% rely on parents to learn how to drive 27% of licensed teens learned only by watching parents drive 90% of teens see passenger behavior that distracts the driver 75% of teens say peers drive fatigued The Fearsome fear·some adj. 1. Causing or capable of causing fear: "The Devil is a fearsome enemy" Jimmy Breslin. 2. Fearful; timid. Foursome 60% of teen accidents are due to four things: * Incorrect hazard recognition * Improper vehicle handling * Improper space management * Speeding Sources: State Farm Insurance Cos.; AAA; the Allstate Foundation; Liberty Mutual Insurance Group/SADD; Nationwide Insurance Co.; U.S. Department of Transportation; Westfield Insurance; Ford Motor Co.; Governor's Highway Safety Association. The Graduated Drivers Licensing Formula Effective GDLs have seven basic components: * A minimum age of 16 for a learner's permit * A requirement to hold the learner's permit for at least six months before receiving a license that allows any unsupervised driving * Required certification of at least 30 hours of supervised driving practice during the learner stage * An intermediate licensing stage with a minimum entry age of 16 years six months * A nighttime driving ban for intermediate license holders starting no later than 10 p.m. * Restriction to no more than one passenger (except family members) for intermediate license holders * Minimum age of 17 for full, unrestricted licensure. All states have some form of GDL. Delaware has all seven components, and Kentucky, Rhode Island Rhode Island, island, United States Rhode Island, island, 15 mi (24 km) long and 5 mi (8 km) wide, S R.I., at the entrance to Narragansett Bay. It is the largest island in the state, with steep cliffs and excellent beaches. , and the District of Columbia District of Columbia, federal district (2000 pop. 572,059, a 5.7% decrease in population since the 1990 census), 69 sq mi (179 sq km), on the east bank of the Potomac River, coextensive with the city of Washington, D.C. (the capital of the United States). have six. Remaining states typically have three-stage GDL systems: a learner stage (all driving must be supervised); then an intermediate stage (unsupervised driving permitted except under certain conditions, such as at night or with passengers); and finally full, unrestricted licensure. Arizona, Arkansas, Kansas, Minnesota and North Dakota North Dakota, state in the N central United States. It is bordered by Minnesota, across the Red River of the North (E), South Dakota (S), Montana (W), and the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba (N). lack intermediate licenses. Nebraska and New Hampshire New Hampshire, one of the New England states of the NE United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts (S), Vermont, with the Connecticut R. forming the boundary (W), the Canadian province of Quebec (NW), and Maine and a short strip of the Atlantic Ocean (E). lack mandatory learner's permits. Source: AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety Risky Behavior Teen auto fatalities are a "chronic public health issue that has yet to find a high enough place on the national health agenda," said Susan Duchak, director of the Teen Driving Program for the Allstate Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Allstate Insurance Co. "It's time It's Time was a successful political campaign run by the Australian Labor Party (ALP) under Gough Whitlam at the 1972 election in Australia. Campaigning on the perceived need for change after 23 years of conservative (Liberal Party of Australia) government, Labor put forward a for new ideas "New Ideas" is the debut single by Scottish New Wave/Indie Rock act The Dykeenies. It was first released as a Double A-side with "Will It Happen Tonight?" on July 17, 2006. The band also recorded a video for the track. and new thinking about how we address the teen-driving issue." Allstate supports parental oversight through a teen-safety-oriented TV and print ad campaign. The Allstate Foundation's teen survey in 2005 and parents' survey released in January showed most teens and parents incorrectly believe the primary cause of teen crashes is drunk driving. Actually, most are due to driver error, Duchak said. "Speeding is also a huge contributor. Increasingly, driving with distractions is a factor," she said. "Teens are driving today with so many distractions and dealing with a number of different issues, making it really difficult for them to focus on driving," said Laurette Stiles, vice president of strategic resources for State Farm Insurance Cos. That includes teen passengers, cell phones and other electronic devices, and fatigue. Other research has shown that development of the teenage brain is not complete until about age 25, further complicating driving skills, Duchak said. In July, AAA released a survey in Seventeen magazine showing that "an alarmingly high number" of teens talk on cell phones and send or read text messages while driving. Similarly, a 2007 Liberty Mutual/SADD survey revealed that while 37% of teens find text messaging "very" or "extremely distracting" to their driving, they still do it. "Kids seem to think that none of the other drivers around them are going to do anything wrong," said Dave Melton, director of transportation technical services for Liberty Mutual. "They take it as a matter of faith that they are in a safe environment." Parents are a much bigger influence on their teen drivers than they may know, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. a survey released Aug. 21 by Nationwide Insurance Co. Some 82% of children as young as age 10 "keenly" watch their parents' driving behaviors, the research stated. And while most parents claim to curb bad driving habits around their children, many of the children surveyed said their parents drive aggressively, look for items in the car while driving, talk on cell phones, or fail to wear seat belts. State Farm, in cooperation with the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia is one of the largest and oldest children's hospitals in the world. "CHOP" has been ranked as the best children's hospital in the United States by U.S. News & World Report and Child Magazine in recent years. , recently released its National Teen Driver Survey, which revealed another side of the parent-child driving relationship. "Teens said they would curb their cell phone use if that was what their parents expected," Stiles said. Teen Drivers' Top Distractions Instant or text messaging while driving Having several friends in the car Talking on a cell phone Eating or drinking Tuning the radio or changing CDs Sources: Allstate Foundation; Insurance Institute for Highway Safety The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is a U.S. non-profit organization funded by auto insurers. It works to reduce the number of motor vehicle crashes, and the rate of injuries and amount of property damage in the crashes that still occur. |
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