Teen Driver Safety is Focus of Statewide Coalition; Keynote Speaker Mike Lutzenkirchen to Share Son’s Story
BIRMINGHAM (Aug. 23, 2018) – A statewide coalition will be working with Alabama students this fall to address the leading cause of death for U.S. teens, motor vehicle crashes. Teen drivers have crash rates three times those of drivers 20 and older per mile driven. However, teen motor vehicle crashes are preventable.
Children’s of Alabama, the Alabama Department of Public Health, the Alabama Department of Transportation, the Injury Free Coalition for Kids, Safe Kids Alabama, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and the Alabama Sports Festival Foundation in partnership with State Farm will host UR KEYS 2 DRV, a series of one-day student teen driver safety summits this fall.
Four UR KEYS 2 DRV events are scheduled in cities across Alabama: Cullman (Sept. 27), Dothan (Oct. 11), Orange Beach (Oct. 30) and York (Nov. 15). Up to 300 students from local high schools are expected at each event.
The UR KEYS 2 DRV program, which is funded through a grant from State Farm, is designed to offer an interactive educational day for students. Participants in the summits will hear personal stories from speakers impacted by teen driving accidents. In small group sessions, the students will discuss safety related topics including the Alabama Graduated Driver License Law, drinking and driving, texting and driving, and other distractions. A driving simulator will provide a visual and valuable hands-on learning experience.
A highlight of each driving safety summit will be a presentation by Mike Lutzenkirchen, executive director of the Lutzie 43 Foundation, an organization that aims to develop the character of young athletes and their coaches by focusing on leadership, charity, compassion, mentorship, hard work, honesty and faith. Lutzenkirchen founded the organization in honor of his 23-year-old son, Philip, a former Auburn University football player, who was a passenger in a fatal car crash in which alcohol played a role.
“The UR KEYS 2 DRV events are designed to educate teens about risky driving behaviors and teach them safe driving skills in an entertaining and engaging way. We hope they will then return to school with the information they’ve learned and share it with their classmates,” said Arlene Lester, public affairs specialist, of State Farm.
UR KEYS 2 DRV events are open to 8th through 12th grade students from any Alabama high school. Schools can bring up to 25 students. Advance registration is required. School officials should contact Lester at arlene.j.lester.cibd@statefarm.com or (678) 249-2268 to register. Visit http://www.urkeys2drv.com for more information.
UR KEYS 2 DRV Summit locations (start time is 9 a.m. for each summit):
- Cullman – Thursday, Sept. 27 at Cullman Civic Center (510 5th Street SW)
- Dothan – Thursday, Oct. 11 at National Peanut Festival (5622 U.S. Highway 231)
- Orange Beach – Tuesday, Oct. 30 at Orange Beach Event Center (4671 Wharf Parkway W)
- York – Thursday, Nov. 15 at Sumter Central High School (13878 US-11)
ABOUT UR KEYS 2 DRV
UR KEYS 2 DRV is an interactive workshop designed to educate teen drivers about safe driving. The event is sponsored in partnership with State Farm, Children’s of Alabama, Alabama Department of Public Health, Alabama Department of Transportation, Injury Free Coalition for Kids, Safe Kids Alabama, Mothers Against Drunk Driving and Alabama Sports Festival Foundation. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens. The mission of this coalition is to educate teen drivers about safe driving to improve this frightening statistic.
