North Dakota teens participate in Ford Driving Skills for Life in Bismarck
For Immediate Release: May 12 2018
BISMARCK, N.D. – The North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) hosted a free, one-day Ford Driving Skills for Life (DSFL) safety event for 90 drivers with a permit or license ages 14-18 at the Bismarck Event Center.
Teens had the opportunity to drive through a closed course with various types of distractions, view the consequences of not wearing a seatbelt through the rollover simulator, experience virtual simulators that focus on impaired driving, distracted driving and the importance of wearing your seat belt. Each scenario allowed the driver to feel or witness the real-life effect their choices can have in a controlled environment.
Other important stations included an ATV simulator and a car care clinic which focused in part, on teaching teens what do if their vehicle gets a flat tire. In addition to all of these interactive stations, drivers also had the opportunity to participate in the North Dakota Safety Council’s Alive at 25 defensive driving course.
Vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for people ages 14-24 in the United States. In 2017 in North Dakota, one teen driver crash occurred every three hours. Because of these statistics, it is important to continually educate teen drivers and provide them with opportunities to enhance their driving skills to move toward the goal of zero fatalities and serious injuries from motor vehicle crashes in North Dakota through the Vision Zero initiative.
For more information on the Vision Zero traffic safety initiative, visit VisionZero.ND.gov
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