The start of another
school year brings with it mixed emotions for me – some good, some sad, some
scary. We’re another year closer to my
cuties being grown and gone (*sniffle*), we’re another year deeper into teen
angst and drama (way too much of that around here), and we’ve got another kid
learning to drive (yikes!). It’s the latter
one that always scares me the most – that whole learning to drive thing!
Our oldest child went
through driver’s training a few years ago. She was guided through the usual driver
education process thoroughly and patiently by her dad and I and the great
driver training school she attended. She
passed all her tests with flying colors and by the time it was all said and
done she felt ready to take on the world with her new driver’s license.
But I wasn’t ready. I wasn’t prepared to let her go out into that
scary world on the road. It was very
hard for me to let go of that fear every time she drove away from the house –
what if something happened and she didn’t know how to react? It wasn’t that I didn’t have faith in her
abilities – I just felt like there was no way I could prepare her enough for every
situation that might happen. I know it’s
unrealistic to think that she could be prepared for every situation, and I also
know that with age and experience comes the ability to effectively handle those
times on the road when something unexpected happens. But as a parent you just want to arm your
kids with all the techniques and skills you can before you turn them loose out
in the world.
A few years have gone by
and we are now getting another kid ready for driving out in that big, scary
world. We again will teach him patiently
and thoroughly, send him to a fantastic driving school, but this time we are
going to add another element – the Ford Driving Skills for Life program.
It’s this last element
that I am SO excited about! The Ford Driving Skills for Life program is a national safety initiative for teens learning to
drive or who have already obtained their driver’s license. The program was created in 2003 by the Ford
Motor Company Fund, the Governor’s Highway Safety Association, and a panel of
safety experts with the goal to teach newly licensed teens the necessary skills
for safe driving, beyond what they will learn in the usual driver education
programs. The complete program includes a video, a
leader's guide, a preview activity for students to complete before viewing the
video, an online quiz, brochures and a take-home letter that students can give
to their parents. I cannot wait to get
my fledgling driver signed up with this great program and he is excited to tell
his friends about learning driving skills with Ford! I am also going to tell every parent I know
about this terrific program so we can all feel better about having our babies
out on the road.
Another way I will be sharing this great program is by using Instagram
(@FordDSFL on Instagram) during the Local 4 Friday Football Frenzy season at ClickOnDetroit.
Ford Driving Skills for Life is also asking parents, teens, and tweens to share their school
spirit photos on Instagram using the hash tag #drivingschoolspirit.
As a bonus, favorite photos with the #drivingschoolspirit hash tag and/or
photos that tag @FordDSFL may be included in a round-up for some special
recognition during the Local 4 Friday Football Frenzy season, including a featured slideshow on the Friday Football Frenzy page of the
ClickOnDetroit website!
A 16-year old driver is 10 times more likely to
be involved in a crash than an adult.
(source:
www.drivingskillsforlife.com)
This is a really scary statistic that we as
parents can try and change. Help make the roads safer for all of us, old
drivers and new, by sharing the Ford Driving Skills for Life program with as
many folks as possible! Spread the word
about this great program by telling teachers, parents, friends, relatives,
everyone you can. And go ahead and follow
@FordDSFL on Instagram and share your #drivingschoolspirit pictures – we’re all
in this together!
:-)
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All opinions expressed are my own.
Very cool idea Jen!!! I was not aware of the Ford driving program when my little fledgling took flight. Wish I had. Might have saved me some money on all of that acid reducer I purchased especially after his accident. See, I probably induced some of your worrt sharing those pics with you. If so, I am sorry.
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