Defensive Driving Courses - Helping Teens Through Education, Advocacy and Research

Did you know that the number one killer of teens in the United States is car crashes? No? It is not alcohol or drugs, but instead it is the lack of proper judgment, distractions and fatigue that takes the lives of several teenagers. In order to shed light on this, “serial killer” the United States Congress established the NTDSW (National Teen Driver Safety Week), in 2007.This brilliant initiative is also supported by the traffic safety experts at the CHOP (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia) and several State Farm Insurance Companies.

A recent investigation has made many people realize that although teens are aware about the dangers of drinking and driving, they are very often unaware of the risks that are associated with speeding, fatigued driving, driving with multiple teen passengers and using hand held devices like mobile phones. This research was conducted by the State Farm and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

It is here that defensive driving courses play an extremely crucial role, for through their leadership in education, advocacy and research around auto safety, they are helping teens become safer drivers. Defensive driving is nothing else but, "driving to save lives, time, and money, in spite of the conditions around you and the actions of others."

In the United States, some of the most familiar defensive driving courses are DDC for Instructors, Coaching the Mature Driver, Professional Truck Driving, Alive at 25, Dynamics of Driving and the basic Defensive Driving Course.