Ford Driving Skills For Life Comes To Seekonk July 26, 27

By Vanessa Cook

SEEKONK, MA — Ford Driving Skills for Life, a free hands-on training program for newly permitted and fully licensed drivers, is bringing its 2017 Summer Tour to New England as part of its 14th U.S. national tour. The tour hits Seekonk on Wednesday, July 26, 2017, as well as Thursday, July 27, at the Seekonk Speedway.

Across the United States, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among teenagers. This award-winning program helps new drivers stay safe behind the wheel by capturing teen and parent interest with free hands-on driving clinics that pair newly licensed drivers with professional driving instructors. Beyond driver’s education training, the program focuses on the issues and obstacles drivers face that cause crashes, including vehicle handling, hazard recognition, speed and space management, and distracted and impaired driving.

A key part of the instruction focuses on training newly licensed drivers to make better driving decisions. In addition to warning about the dangers of impaired and distracted driving through Ford’s drugged and drunk driving suits, the Summer Tour will feature new virtual reality training tools to help new drivers navigate traffic circles, pedestrians and bicyclists.

“We are excited to bring our global award-winning program to New England” said James Graham, global manager, Ford Driving Skills for Life. “We look forward to expanding our efforts to help reduce the number of crashes and fatalities through real-world training and teaching improved decision-making skills. Partnering with our New England Ford Dealers and highway safety offices, we believe we are making a substantial contribution to safer driving for local students and parents in the area.”

Ford Driving Skills for Life partners with the Governors Highway Safety Association, a nonprofit representing the state and territorial highway safety offices that implement federal grant programs to address behavioral highway safety issues.

"The past two years have seen tragic increases in teen driver-involved deaths, making it even more critical to instill safe driving habits in our newly licensed drivers," said Jonathan Adkins, Executive Director of the Governors Highway Safety Association. “GHSA and our member state agencies appreciate that Ford DSFL is able to offer these free hands-on training events to impart these lifesaving skills.”

“Mission Not Accomplished: Teen Safe Driving, the Next Chapter,” a Governors Highway Safety Association report released in October, shows that despite progress reducing teen driving deaths from 2005 to 2014, teen drivers are still 1.6 times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than adults 35-40. Special emphasis for 2017 includes instruction for drivers ages 18-20, who are involved in more fatal crashes than younger teens. Since 2003, Ford Driving Skills for Life has provided free driver training in a hands-on environment to more than 1 million newly licensed drivers around the world. The program is part of Ford Motor Company Fund, the philanthropic arm of Ford Motor Company. To learn more about the Ford Driving Skills for Life 2017 Summer Tour and to register, visit drivingskillsforlife.com.