Virtual Teen Driver Safety Event Being Held to Help Prevent Teen Auto Deaths in Alabama

BIRMINGHAM – The UR KEYS 2 DRV (“Your Keys to Drive”) teen driving coalition will host a pair of virtual summits this fall and invites high schools across Alabama to participate.

The summits will be held Nov. 4, and Dec. 7. Funded through a grant from State Farm, these two events will be hosted virtually by teen driving experts working with students to address the leading cause of death for U.S. teens – motor vehicle crashes. There is no cost to participate, but preregistration is required. To register, contact Arlene Lester, public affairs specialist for State Farm, at arlene.j.lester.cibd@statefarm.com or 678-249-2268.

Teen drivers have crash rates three times those of drivers 20 and older per mile driven. Participants in the summit will hear personal stories from speakers impacted by teen driving crashes, take part in small group sessions and discuss safety-related topics, including the Alabama Graduated Driver License Law, drinking and driving, texting and driving and other distractions.

“These 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,” Lester said. “We hope they will then return to school with the information they’ve learned and share it with their classmates.”

Coalition members include: State Farm, 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), the Alabama Sports Festival Foundation and the Alcohol Beverage Control Board.

For more information, visit www.urkeys2drv.com for more information.