This month provides the perfect opportunity for parents and teen drivers to utilize Ford Driving Skills for Life resources to educate, advocate and raise awareness of distracted driving.

Dearborn, Mich. - Distracted driving is defined as any activity that diverts attention away from the task of driving. The concept of distracted driving goes as far back as the invention of the automobile itself. We have always had to deal with the external distractions like pedestrians or billboards. Internal distractions, like reaching for a snack or calming a pet, are not new either.

With the increased capabilities and accessibility of smartphones, distracted driving opportunities have increased. A recent survey from the AAA Traffic Safety Culture Index found that 87.5% of drivers believe that distracted driving has outpaced all other traffic-related issues as a growing safety concern.

Since young drivers are among the most likely to text and talk behind the wheel, they are at very high risk for distracted driving crashes. Motor vehicle traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for American teens.

"It's a huge problem and a complex issue due to the fact that there are many types of distractions", said Jim Graham, Global Manager of the Ford Driving Skills for Life program. "In addition to mobile devices, teen passengers can create a huge risk for newly-licensed drivers. It may seem harmless for a teen to drive their friends home from practice or school, but the crash risk doubles when teens drive just one peer passenger and triples with two or more teen passengers."

For nearly 20 years, Ford Philanthropy has been addressing teen driver safety through the award-winning Ford Driving Skills for Life program. A signature program of the Ford Philanthropy, Ford Driving Skills for Life has invested more than $60 million to provide free, advanced driver education to more than 1.25 million newly-licensed drivers in all 50 U.S. states and 46 countries worldwide since 2003. In-person and virtual program elements are offered that address areas of inexperience as well as the issues surrounding distracted driving.

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month. Ford Driving Skills for Life would like to encourage parents, teens, and ALL drivers to share in the responsibility of ending distracted driving. Download and share the below social media images to keep the conversation going.

Parents and teen drivers can also take The Pledge, a promise to drive safe and distraction free, by visiting www.drivingskillsforlife.com.

DISTRACTED DRIVING AWARENESS MONTH RESOURCES

Throughout the month of April, additional resources will be added to this page for both parents and teens.

2022 Hands-on Tour - Kansas City, MO April 23 -24

Shareable Images

Click on any image to download the image for sharing on your social media profiles.

Take The Pledge

Parents and teens can take The Pledge, a promise to drive safe and distraction free. Join over 12,000 others who have taken The Pledge so far!

Download Ford DSFL's Parent-Teen Driving Agreement

Review the information together and add additional rules that pertain specifically to your family about safe and distraction free driving. Sign and date when ready.