Aurora, Ontario. October 22, 2008 -- State Farm Canada and SMARTRISK are pleased to announce their new partnership.
While a driver’s licence is a route to independence for many Canadian teenagers, car crashes are also the leading cause of death for young people between 15 and 20 years of age.
SMARTRISK and State Farm will work together to help bring those numbers down.
State Farm’s Canadian Senior Vice President, Bob Cooke stated “State Farm has a strong tradition of working in our communities to make our roads and neighbourhoods safer. Our partnership with SMARTRISK will focus on and reach out to a key group – teenagers, through technology and safe driving programs.”
Research suggests that new drivers should gain experience behind the wheel for at least six months before offering a ride to another teenager and then another six months before driving more than one teen. Newly licensed drivers have an elevated crash risk and that distractions as a cause of car crashes are an even more critical issue for teen drivers than older drivers. The risk of crashing for a teen rises exponentially with the number of teen passengers.
These statistics show why Canadians must take action to lower the crash risk for this vulnerable group:
- In 2006, 353 teens aged 15-19 years, died in car crashes in Canada. These teens represented 12% of all those killed in car crashes.
- Another 24,594 teens 15-19 were injured, with 2,059 of those seriously hurt, again representing more than 12% of those hurt in crashes.
- Yet that age group accounts for fewer than 5% of all licensed drivers in Canada.
- Both the drivers and victims in speeding crashes tend to be young, with young adults, 16-24, accounting for one in three speed-related deaths.
SMARTRISK helps Canadians see the risks in their lives and helps them learn to take those risks in the smartest way possible so they can enjoy life injury-free.
SMARTRISK runs programs in Canadian high schools to help young people learn to choose smart risk.
“SMARTRISK works with Canadian youth and their parents to help teens make good decisions about risk taking. We believe people deserve to enjoy their lives to the fullest - without suffering debilitating or life-threatening injuries as a result. State Farm is a leading Canadian corporation that understands the importance of changing youth behaviours to reduce injury and save lives. We are excited that State Farm's investment will help us launch a new, cutting-edge web site next year that will allow us to bring our effective peer leadership program to many more Canadian high school students,” said Bob Baker, President and CEO of SMARTRISK.
State Farm’s investment will help SMARTRISK develop new resources tailored to teens and driving, which it will bring into high schools across Canada through its peer education program, No Regrets.
This investment will also help SMARTRISK bring its programming to more schools in Canada through new, cutting edge, interactive channels.
About State Farm
State Farm® has been serving Canadians since 1938. It is the fourth largest auto insurer, and eighth largest property and casualty insurer in Canada. State Farm’s more than 500 Canadian agents and more than 1,400 employees currently provide insurance and financial services in Ontario, Alberta and New Brunswick. State Farm's Corporate Headquarters is in Bloomington, Illinois, USA. For more information, please visit StateFarm.ca®.
About SMARTRISK
SMARTRISK is a national, charitable organization, dedicated to preventing injuries and saving lives. SMARTRISK helps people to see and manage the risks in their lives through programs it operates across Canada. SMARTRISK's five key messages to help Canadians make smart choices are: Buckle Up. Look First. Get Trained. Wear the Gear. Drive Sober.
