Crash Reduction 101: Affordable New Online Tool for Parents, Designed to Reduce Teen Driving Accidents and Save Lives, Now Available

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Feb 16, 2010, 08:20 ET

MESA, Ariz., Feb. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Teenage driving statistics are no joke and should be a real concern for parents. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), car crashes involving teen drivers are the leading cause of death for teenagers. We should also mention the $40 billion economic impact of auto accidents involving 15-20 year old drivers. These facts were the impetus for the founding of Street Smarts Interactive, LLC (http://www.streetsmarts101.com), a trio of online courses designed to supplement basic driver's education and to give parents a tool to use to help them meet state-mandated graduated driver's license laws.

"When it came time to teach my girls to drive, I realized that my state didn't have good driver's training requirements," said Street Smarts 101 founder Tom Lee, a widowed father of twin teenage daughters. "The classroom-only driver's ed program at their high school offered no behind-the-wheel training. The program's sole goal was to enable the students to pass the written driving exam and get their learner's permit. As a parent, I found myself at my wit's end trying to find an effective way to make sure that when my girls got their license, they knew how to drive safely."

Lee, a retired member of the United States Navy Special Operation Community, understood the need for a comprehensive training strategy to teach his daughters to recognize and avoid the dangers of the road. "I needed to be involved, which was something that an expensive commercial driver's ed program couldn't offer." He said, "I found existing online products lacking; a mixed bag of non-compatible software, outdated videos and poorly written manuals," he explained.

Working with a team of experts in disciplines including traffic law, vehicle handling, instruction design, training technology, teen behavior and family communications, Lee designed Street Smarts 101, a three-part program that addresses the challenges of engaging teens, empowering parents and, ultimately, saving teen lives.

The first part of this three-part program is now available to the general public at an incredibly reasonable price of $79.95, Crash Reduction 101, a five-lesson course geared toward a teen's understanding and preference for learning. The teens take lessons from their own computer and can try to gain further awareness and confidence.

"Distracted driving is getting a lot of attention in the media right now, but that's just a small part of the problem when you're dealing with a novice teenage driver," said Lee. "Our program looks at the bigger picture, putting you as the parent in the 'driver's seat' when it comes to teaching your child how to drive safely."

About Street Smarts Interactive, LLC:

Founded in 2008, Street Smarts Interactive offers comprehensive and effective online driving courses designed to support the parent as well as increase the teen's road and traffic survival skills.