The registration window is now open for young drivers in Kentucky to sign up for the second Safe Teen Driving Challenge.
“Like last year’s challenge, teens ages 15 to 19 with a learner’s permit or a driver’s license are eligible to sign up and to participate, and thanks to program sponsors we’ll be awarding $10,000 in cash prizes to the safest teen drivers,” said Governor Andy Beshear during Thursday’s Team Kentucky Update.
Teens can register for the challenge at www.kentuckyhighwaysafety.com now through Thursday, April 16. Participants will then download the DriveWell Go app, which will use smartphone sensor data to track risky driving behaviors such as speeding, hard braking, harsh acceleration, cornering, and phone use. The challenge runs April 17 through July 17, after which the top five drivers will receive cash prizes, with the winner receiving $3,000.
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet says over the past three years more than 49,000 crashes involving teen drivers have resulted in more than 13,000 injuries and 197 deaths. Beshear says the challenge is an opportunity for teenagers to learn about their driving habits so they can become safer drivers, something he says is especially important to him as the father of two teenagers.
“Our statistics on fatalities for teen drivers is way too high in Kentucky,” Beshear said. “It’s something I now think about every single day. This is one way, if we can get a whole lot of teens signed up, that we can encourage the type of good habits that can help reduce those statistics and make sure everybody’s kids get home for dinner, that everybody’s kids get home safely.”
Visit www.kentuckyhighwaysafety.com for more information and to register for the challenge.
