Alive at 25 is a
survival course
developed by the
National Safety Council
and is designed to
prevent the number one
killer of teens,
automobile crashes.
Alive at 25 is taught by
off duty Deputy
Sheriffs, and Municipal
Police Officers. The
course is delivered in
one 4 ½ hour program
which focuses on the
behaviors and
decision-making
paradigms that young
drivers and passengers
display behind the
wheel. Instructors hold
candid conversations
with students about what
can happen if they
practice risky behavior
or make other poor
decisions in an
automobile.
These behaviors and
their implications are
explored in-depth
through a combination of
subject discussions and
interactive teaching
tools including:
-
Risk identification
-
Interactive video
participation
-
Experience sharing
with peers
-
Role-playing in
various driving
situations
-
Driving law
review-local and
traffic
Traffic crashes are the
leading cause of teen
fatalities, accounting
for 44% of teen deaths
in the U.S.
-
Young drivers are
involved in fatal
crashes at more than
twice the rate of
all others
-
The first year for a
newly licensed
teenage driver is
the most dangerous
with more than one
in five involved in
crashes
-
Each year nearly
6,000 teens are
killed in vehicular
accidents; more than
3,800 are drivers
age 15-20
-
Annually, more than
326,000 young
drivers are
seriously injured
-
315 young drivers
were killed last
year in South
Carolina; 152 were
not wearing safety
belts
-
Nearly 50, or
one-fourth, were
alcohol related; the
average blood
alcohol level (BAC)
was 0.14; to be
considered legally
drunk in South
Carolina the BAC is
0.08
-
Exceeding the posted
speed limit or
driving at an unsafe
speed is the most
common error in
fatal teenage
accidents
-
More than 1,000
young drivers lose
their lives each
year in crashes
because of an
impaired driver, be
it themselves or
someone else
-
Although this group
represents about 7%
of the nations’
licensed drivers,
they are involved in
nearly 15% of all
fatal crashes
Research shows the
leading cause of young
driver accidents involve
one or a combination of
the following factors:
-
Lack of awareness to
the consequences of
risk-taking behavior
-
Inexperience with
complexities of
driving
-
Peers in vehicle
with the youthful
driver
-
Driving as a social
activity
-
Impaired driving to
due road conditions,
including driving at
night
-
Speeding
-
Driving under the
influence of alcohol
or drugs
As a young driver or
passenger, you can
greatly reduce your risk
by taking control of the
situation. Committing to
learning or changing
your driving behavior
makes personal, legal
and financial sense.
Vehicle crashes are the
#1 cause of death for
people between the ages
of 16 and 24. The
National Safety Council,
a leader in driver
improvement training for
more than 40 years,
developed DDC-Alive at
25 to specifically
target drivers in this
age group.
-
Since 1995, more
than 400,000 young
adults have learned
life-saving
defensive driving
skills through
DDC-Alive at 25.
-
In a recent study by
the Colorado State
Patrol, 93% of DDC-
Alive at 25
participants said
they would change
their driving
behavior afterwards.
-
Courts and schools
nationwide use
DDC-Alive at 25 in
their graduated
license and violator
programs.
This highly interactive
four and a half hour
program encourages young
drivers between the ages
of 16 and 24 to take
responsibility for their
driving behavior. Skill
practices and
on-the-spot defensive
driving techniques help
change bravado to
confidence.
Our DDC-Alive at 25
instructors use personal
examples and even humor
to get their point
across. They use
workbook exercises,
interactive media
segments, group
discussions,
role-playing, and short
lectures to help young
drivers develop
convictions and
strategies that will
keep them safer on the
road.
DDC-Alive at 25 teaches
young adults that:
-
People in their age
group are more
likely to be hurt or
killed in a vehicle
crash.
-
Inexperience,
distractions, and
peer pressure cause
unique driving
hazards.
-
Speeding, alcohol,
and "party drugs"
greatly increase
their risk of injury
or death.
-
As a driver or
passenger, they can
greatly reduce their
risk by taking
control.
-
Committing to
changing their
driving behavior
makes personal,
legal and financial
sense.
