Funding will empower youth and provide statewide education.

Tallahassee, FL – February 21, 2024 – State Farm announced its support of a Florida based teen traffic safety group, the Florida Teen Safe Driving Coalition and has awarded a $60,000 grant to promote traffic safety education among parents, teens, and law enforcement statewide. The grant will fund several projects aimed at reducing the number of teen-related traffic crashes in Florida, including:

• Development of a comprehensive Battle of the Belts Kit for statewide distribution, encouraging the adoption of safety belt usage among teens.
• Printing of extra Ground Your Parents Kits, available statewide, fostering communication between parents and teens regarding safe driving habits.
• Sponsorship of 10 presentations by a traffic safety speaker, visiting high schools in Florida to educate teens about the crucial significance of safe driving.
• Provision of educational materials supporting traffic safety to Florida parents/caregivers, teens, and law enforcement, promoting awareness and understanding of safe driving practices.

Traffic collisions stand as the primary cause of fatalities among teenagers, despite being preventable. Novice teen drivers, as highlighted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA), face a twofold higher likelihood of being engaged in fatal car crash compared to their adult counterparts. This heightened risk is predominantly attributed to their limited experience and a reluctance to assert themselves when feeling unsafe while driving.

“State Farm has remained a committee partner toward keeping teens safe on the roads,” said Melissa Valido, Coalition Leader of the Florida Teen Safe Driving Coalition. “This funding allows us to persist in our commitment to enhancing the safety of Florida’s roads, enabling us to extend vital education and resources to parents, teens, and law enforcement for a lasting positive impact.”

This grant will help the Florida Teen Safe Driving Coalition address this issue by providing essential education and resources to Florida’s youth.

“Empowering through education is paramount in reducing teen-involved crashes on Florida’s roads,” emphasized Jose Soto, Corporate Responsibility Analyst at State Farm. “We take pride in our support for the Florida Teen Safe Driving Coalition as they tirelessly advance their mission to advocate for and promote comprehensive traffic safety education.”

State Farm has provided funding to support the continuation of the Ground Your Parents Safe Driving Campaign since 2020, an effort to raise awareness among parents of the important duty they have to model safe driving behavior for their teens. According to NHTSA, parents are the number one role-model and influencer when it comes to teen safe driving habits. The goal of the campaign is to get teens talking to their parents about “practicing what they preach” when it comes to driving safe.   

About the Florida Teen Safe Driving Coalition:

The Florida Teen Safe Driving Coalition (FTSDC) supports the engagement, education, and mobilization of members in the community to work collectively on developing and improving teen safe driving programs, practices, and activities and thereby save lives in Florida. The FTSDC pursues the recommendations of assessments done by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, as well as the objectives established by the Florida Strategic Highway Safety Plan. The office is funded through a grant by the Florida Department of Transportation and generous partners, such as State Farm. For more information on the Florida Teen Safe Driving coalition, visit their website at www.flteensafedriver.org

About State Farm®:

For over 100 years, the mission of State Farm has been to help people manage the risks of everyday life, recover from the unexpected and realize their dreams. State Farm and its affiliates are the largest providers of auto and home insurance in the United States. Its more than 19,400 agents and 67,000 employees serve over 91 million policies and accounts – including auto, fire, life, health, commercial policies and financial services accounts. Commercial auto insurance, along with coverage for renters, business owners, boats and motorcycles, is also available. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 44 on the 2023 Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit http://www.statefarm.com.