Menu More MORE
AAA
Roadside... Roadside Assistance

AAA Announces New Program to Invest in Teen Driver Safety

AAA Northern New England is partnering with the State of Maine to modernize the delivery of novice driver education

studentbook

AAA Northern New England is partnering with the Maine Bureau of Highway Safety to provide driver education curriculum materials and development training to driving instructors across the state. AAA has been awarded a grant by the Maine Bureau of Highway Safety to help address teen driver safety in Maine.

AAA is concerned by the decline in the availability of driver education and training programs both in the public and private sectors. Professional driver education and training opportunities are declining, and the nation’s novice drivers still incur more fatalities and injuries per-vehicle-mile driven than any other age group. Drivers ages 16-20 make up less than 5% of drivers on Maine roads, however they are involved in 10% of fatal crashes and 12% of serious injury crashes annually.

AAA believes an educated driver is a more effective decision-maker. “The ever-increasing demands of the highway traffic system underscore the need for a better driver education and training system,” said Pat Moody, manager of public affairs AAA Northern New England. “We are excited to collaborate with the Maine Bureau of Highway Safety and the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles to support and develop professional driving instructors in Maine and to provide high quality driver education content.”

“Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers in America. Mile for mile, teenagers are involved in three times as many fatal crashes as all other drivers,” said Lauren Stewart, director of the Maine Bureau of Highway Safety. “Through research, public awareness campaigns, and partnering with organizations like AAA on safety grant programs such as this initiative, the Maine Bureau of Highway Safety is dedicated to curbing teen driving deaths and injuries.”

The Maine Bureau of Highway Safety “Teen Driver Safety Grant” will help fund the distribution of the AAA How to Drive instructor training guide and curriculum presentation materials to licensed Class A driving instructors in Maine, via the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

“The Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles is pleased to work with AAA Northern New England and the Maine Bureau of Highway safety on this opportunity to invest in Maine’s novice driving schools,” said Secretary of State Shenna Bellows. “The delivery of high-quality instruction by dedicated traffic safety professionals, supported by AAA’s research-based training curriculum, will help position Maine’s newest drivers for a lifetime of safe driving.”

AAA’s How to Drive is endorsed by the American Driver and Traffic Safety Education Association as the curriculum of choice for the delivery of NHTSA’s supported National Novice Driver Education Standards. 

The 15th edition of the AAA How to Drive Novice Driver Training Program is a comprehensive course of study designed to assist people with starting their driving careers. How to Drive takes a comprehensive approach to reduced-risk driving and introduces new drivers and their families to The Highway Transportation System and modern-day vehicle safety technology systems.

The curriculum relies heavily upon scientifically reliable data to support concepts, methods and techniques. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety and other sources contribute significantly to How to Drive subject matter. The result is a novice driver training program designed specifically to address causal factors in young driver crashes.

CST 1016202-80 Copyright © AAA Northern New England. All Rights Reserved.
AAA Northern New England is a member club affiliated with the American Automobile Association (AAA) national federation and serves members in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont.