BLOOMINGTON, Ill., Oct. 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- State Farm today announced it will give away a new car to a family that makes teen driver safety a priority. Designed to raise awareness of the important role parents play in teaching their teens to drive, this announcement from State Farm is the latest in its ongoing campaign to reduce teen crashes on the road.

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, go to: http://www.multivu.com/mnr/52604-state-farm-ralph-macchio-parents-perpared-ready-driving-instructors

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111018/MM87190)

Riding shotgun with State Farm on its drive to raise awareness of the issue is television and film actor Ralph Macchio, the star of The Karate Kid and The Outsiders, as well as recent Dancing with the Stars semi-finalist. Macchio recently began teaching his son, Daniel, to drive and knows it's not easy.  He's using his personal experience to share an important message with parents: they can help keep their kids safe by becoming well-prepared and then spending plenty of good, quality time practicing behind the wheel.  

"I think parents forget how different it is to learn to drive in the year 2011 because so many more distractions, from cell phones to iPods, exist," said Macchio. "Parents need to be better equipped to understand the challenges their teens face and teach their teens those safe driving basics. I have two teenage children, and I want to make sure I do everything I can to ensure they're safe on the road."

In response to the challenges facing parents and teens as these young drivers learn the rules of the road, State Farm is launching unprecedented, educational tools for all parents and teens to learn to drive more safely, free of cost. Macchio and his son star in a video series illustrating how easily these tools translate to behind-the-wheel practice, and how practice time with a parent in the car can improve teens' understanding of how to drive safely. Both tools are available now at http://teendriving.statefarm.com.

In addition to showcasing the usefulness of the tools with the Macchios, State Farm is offering a massive incentive for parents that explores the benefits of one of these new tools – Road Trips™ – a chance to win a 2012 Ford Focus SE.

For more information, or to check out additional resources available for parents and teens to become safer drivers and enter for a chance to win a new family car, visit http://teendriving.statefarm.com. Join the conversation and connect with State Farm on Facebook and Twitter.

About State Farm®

State Farm insures more cars and homes than any other insurer in the U.S., is the leading insurer of watercraft and is also a leading insurer in Canada. Our 17,800 agents and more than 65,000 employees serve 81 million policies and accounts - more than 78 million auto, fire, life and health policies in the United States and Canada, and nearly 1.8 million bank accounts. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 37 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit www.statefarm.com or in Canada www.statefarm.ca.

SOURCE State Farm