I Promise Program - An injury/loss prevention program targeted to new teen drivers

How do you make the roads safer for your teen driver?

United States statistics for 1999 show teen automobile crashes accounted for some 8,175 deaths for people ages 15 to 20 years old at a societal cost estimated in excess of $32 billion. (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, Traffic Safety Facts, 1999). Canadian statistics alarmingly show teen drivers accounting for 11.5% of teen driver deaths and a whopping 20.4% of teen passenger deaths (Transport Canada, Canadian Motor Vehicle Traffic Collision Statistics, 1999). Teen car crashes the single greatest cause of teen deaths and permanent injuries in North America.

Until recently there was little a parent could do to reduce the risk of their teen being involved in a car crash. Now there is a new initiative that has the potential to reduce crashes, property damage, injuries and save lives, if only the automobile insurance industry comes on board. Now there is the "I PromiseProgram".

The I Promise Program relies on parents as role models and on communities. The particulars include a parent-teen mutual safe driving contract and a public commitment to safe driving enabled by a rear window decal displaying a 1-800 number to facilitate community reports of driver behaviour. The program presents a positive and potent communication tool to enable discussion and consensus building between parent and teen on mutual obligations and responsibilities with respect to being appropriate road users. The program then takes the dialogue a step further with the public commitment, reinforced with the rear window decal. Reports on driver behaviour are taken by a call center where the information is then sent first class mail to the family to be managed as set out in the contract.

The program has been reviewed internationally by safety, medical and injury prevention organizations. Seventy-seven letters of support have been received from these organizations and Harvard University and Ottawa University are collaborating as research partners.

The program is designed for distribution by property/casualty (automobile) insurance companies to be delivered by them to their teen policyholders. This route was chosen as this industry "touches" virtually every new teen driver and has a substantial interest in reducing the cost of claims associated with this group. The process is simple: Include the I Promise pamphlet when they mail you the insurance certificate.

Studies by Worcester, Mass.-based Hanover Insurance Company of commercial vehicle monitoring similar to that used in the I Promise Program showed a 22 percent drop in accidents, and a 53 percent reduction in dollars lost. A modest 10 percent crash reduction would be a $320 million saving to the Canadian auto insurance industry and a $3.2 billion saving to the U.S. auto insurance industry - not to mention the reduction of property damage, injuries and deaths.

Jan Lowther, well known for her years as Publisher of the Canadian Underwriter magazine retired in January 2000 but quickly jumped into the role of Director of Insurer Relations with the I Promise Program. She feels this is a simple injury prevention strategy that can save lives, reduce costs and elevate the insurance industry in the eyes of their policyholders. Jan has been introducing Gary Direnfeld, developer and Executive Director of the I Promise Program to the insurance industry.

George Cooke, CEO/President of the Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company is the first to commit to participating with the I Promise Program. From his position as Chairman of the Board of the Insurance Bureau of Canada, he is personally introducing the initiative to his colleagues. Mr. Cooke understands that some of his colleagues may need to see broad based support to influence the participation of other auto insurers.

Direnfeld is therefore encouraging parents to contact their auto insurer to inform them of and demand the I Promise Program.

Where Can I Get More Information?

For more information, to view the parent-teen mutual safe driving contract and to view the letters of support, go to: www.ipromiseprogram.com

Gary Direnfeld and Jan Lowther can be reached at:

I Promise Program
20 Suter Crescent
Dundas, Ontario, Canada
L9H 6R5

Gary123@sympatico.ca
www.ipromiseprogram.com
(905) 628-4847