The Safe America Foundation and State Farm announce Ready2Drive, a landmark tri-state initiative to train insurance agents to become community teen driving safety specialists and speakers in their local schools, clubs and neighborhood events.

Crashes continue to be the leading cause of death for teens, accounting for more than one in three deaths in this age group. Almost 4,500 teens ages 16 to 19 die as a result of crashes and nearly 400,000 sustain injuries requiring treatment.  Sadly, while young people ages 15-24 represent only 14% of the U.S. population, they account for as much as 30% of the total cost of motor vehicle injuries in this country.

Safe America and State Farm will launch Ready2Drive to provide programs addressing the top deadliest teen driving behaviors including driving while distracted by texting and talking on cell phones, other teen passengers, eating, adjusting the car radio and portable devices. Further, State Farm agents will be available to speak about dangerous teen driving behaviors such as impaired driving, speeding, and other tragic yet typical teen driving behaviors. Agents will be available to speak at local schools, conducting school safety events, hosting lunch ‘n learns, working with local law enforcement agencies and local PTAs in addition to hosting community outreach programs out of agents’ local offices.

The Safe America Foundation - a national non-profit founded 15 years ago - has long been committed to safeguarding teens through formal driver education, driving simulator training, high school assemblies, teen community events, game shows, PTA programs and its annual Teen Driving Academy at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. Safe America President & CEO, Len Pagano, states, “We at the Safe America Foundation are passionate about changing the devastating statistics of teen crashes. The shattered lives resulting needlessly from poor decisions by teens while behind the wheel can be prevented and we believe srongly that through the good work of a local State Farm agent in partnership with the Safe America Foundation we can help prevent the tragedies that continue to happen each and every day in this country.”

Ready2drive’s launch will coordinate with State Farm’s National Teen Driver Safety Week October 18-24, 2009, which was launched in 2007 in an effort to encourage parents, young drivers, lawmakers and educators to focus on working together to change risky teen driving behaviors and help save lives.  

The Safe America Foundation, founded in 1994, is dedicated to saving teen lives by helping to change their driving behavior while encouraging and recognizing good driving skills. Since the inception of its SafeTeenAmerica program almost five years ago, Safe America has reached more than 10,000 teens and parents through the Teen Driving Institute, the Annual Teen Driving Academy at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, and the National Safety Tour. The Foundation is also committed to raising the nation’s awareness of personal preparedness in any emergency and in 2009 has launched Drill Down for Safety, reaching hundreds of thousands of individuals through corporate and community preparedness programs. For more information visit www.safeamerica.org.

About State Farm®:

State Farm insures more cars and homes than any other insurer in the U.S., is the leading insurer of watercraft and is also a leading insurer in Canada. State Farm's 17,700 agents and 68,600 employees serve 81 million policies and accounts - more than 78.7 million auto, fire, life and health policies in the United States and Canada, and more than 1.9 million bank accounts. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 31 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit statefarm.com® or in Canada statefarm.ca®.