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Boston, MA - Safety Insurance Group, Inc. recently announced it will join forces with the non-profit group Safe Roads Alliance, Inc. and the driver training and education center In Control Advanced Driver Training MA LLC, to improve driver safety in Massachusetts. The partnership will help educate drivers of all ages, with a particular focus on teens, about safe driving practices and emergency response maneuvering to decrease the number of accidents and casualties on Massachusetts' roads.

"The vast majority of car accidents are the result of driver error. Taking the time to ensure that all drivers have the skills they need to handle dangerous driving situations can largely reduce the number and severity of crashes," said George Murphy, vice president, Safety Insurance. "We hope this partnership will help encourage Safety Insurance policy holders and other Massachusetts drivers to become better, safer drivers, and help them protect themselves and their loved ones from harm."

As part of this partnership, drivers who participate in a driver skills development program at In Control and become members of Safe Roads Alliance will receive a five percent group discount on their automobile insurance from Safety Insurance. In addition, drivers with Safety Insurance coverage will also have the opportunity to participate in the driver skills development program at In Control for only $75.00; more than a 70 percent discount from the normal $299.00 enrollment fee.

"We are thrilled to team up with Safety Insurance and In Control," said James Hayward, president, Safe Roads Alliance. "All three organizations share the goal of promoting and enhancing safer driving in Massachusetts. Motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death for 16 to 24-year-olds, and this collaboration will help us all reach a broader audience and help decrease automobile-related tragedies."

Teen driver crashes are gaining attention. Statistics, like those below, demonstrate the urgency of addressing this issue. According to Safe Roads Alliance:

• Motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death for 16 to 24- year-olds at 48.5 percent -- the next highest cause, homicide, follows at 15.2 percent
• Nationwide, 43 percent of first-year drivers and 37 percent of second- year drivers are involved in car crashes
• In Control's Advanced Driver Training has been shown to reduce crashes by new drivers by 70 percent (according to a four-year study conducted by the Vermont Cooperative Insurance Company)
• Individuals aged 15 to 20 make up 6.7 percent of the total driving population, but are involved in 20 percent of all crashes and 14 percent of motor vehicle deaths
• Sixty-five percent of teen passenger deaths occur when another teenager is driving
• Nearly half of the fatal crashes involving 16-year-old drivers were single vehicle crashes
• In the last decade, over 68,000 teens have died in car crashes

"Safety Insurance's support of our Advanced Driver Training program will help encourage families to continue learning how to be better drivers long after driver education courses are complete," said Dan Strollo, president, In Control. "This unique partnership will encourage teens and parents to pay more attention to driver safety. We know they will gain valuable skills to ensure their own and other drivers' safety, ultimately saving lives."

SOURCE: Safety Insurance Group, Inc.