Monday, March 26, 2012

UPS Road Code Program Aims to Reduce Teen Driver Distraction


Driver distraction, particularly among and involving teens, is a growing concern. To combat this problem, the UPS Foundation has created a national program to teach safe driving techniques to teens: UPS Road Code. Partnering with Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the UPS Foundation established the program in 2009 in local clubs across 10 cities. Now, the groups have expanded the program to be available in 52 clubs in 36 U.S. cities.

The program is based on the safety training used by UPS’s own drivers, who log more than 3 billion miles per year with less than one accident per million miles driven. The program provides teens with four sessions of classroom-based instruction, as well as a hands-on experience on a virtual driving simulator. Each week, the program focuses on different safety principles, from basic instruction to consequences of risky driving behavior.
Spud Webb, NBA legend and alumnus of Boys & Girls Clubs of America, tests out a virtual driving simulator at an event celebrating the national expansion of UPS Road Code, a program supported by The UPS Foundation to teach safe driving techniques to teens at Boys & Girls Clubs across the country. (Photo: PRNewsFoto/The UPS Foundation)