Driving, like anything else, takes practice to do properly. So it should come as no surprise that those with the least amount of experience have the most difficulty driving safely. According to Safe America, an organization dedicated to improving safety in America, one in four teens will have an accident within their first two years of driving.

Safe America and ABRA Auto Body & Glass of Minnesota are two companies that have taken the pursuit of safety to a higher level. Both organizations conduct safe driving events designed to make teenagers safer drivers.

David Kulkis, an account executive for ABRA-Georgia, is charged with designing and implementing safe driver programs in the Atlanta market. “ABRA has a company-wide passion for vehicle safety,” he said. It might come as a surprise that reducing accidents is a major focus of an auto body repair company, but David explains that companies like ABRA are on the front lines of the accident epidemic. “Repairing vehicles is all about safety. We return the vehicle to its safest form so it responds as designed if another accident occurs.”

Most of ABRA’s safe-driving efforts are sponsored in the Atlanta and Minneapolis metro areas. The focus of these efforts is to educate young drivers on proper seatbelt use in conjunction with airbags to reduce the possibility of injury or death.

ABRA isn’t simply a corporate sponsor for the safe driving events. Employees are highly involved, volunteering their time to help out with the events. Other organizations such as Safe America Safe Driving Events, the Safe Kids organization and insurance agencies are usually involved as well.

“It’s really wonderful to have multiple organizations come together focused on a singular goal,” said Kulkis. “The appreciation from parents whose teens are ready to begin driving is tremendous. I think all parents worry about their children when they turn 16, and programs like this help to bring them a little peace of mind.”

Safe America, which partners with ABRA on some events, has devised a program that utilizes state-of-the-art technology to teach teens safe driving habits. The Safe America Driving Institute offers a computer simulated driving experience for teens of all ages -- even those who are too young to qualify for a learner's permit. The Driving Institute is a one-day event lasting six hours.

The simulators provide young and future drivers with multiple driving experiences to help them prepare before facing the real thing. Students could find themselves in one of the following simulated situations:

• high-risk conditions such as rain, fog and night driving;
• high-speed conditions on highways and freeways;
• highly populated urban areas, including pedestrian traffic; and
• maneuvering on a control course.

Soon students will be able to experience the dangers of driving while impaired when the simulator provides users with the virtual effects of drugs and alcohol use while operating an automobile.

The simulator utilizes high resolution and fully textured 3-dimensional graphics to produce life-like images. Complex, unpredictable and realistic traffic interaction is offered to replicate real-life situations with a high degree of accuracy. The simulator focuses on the types of situations drivers are exposed to while driving an actual automobile, such as braking, acceleration and steering. Students learn to appreciate the quick reactions and level-headedness needed to safely operate motor vehicles.

In addition to the fully interactive driving scenarios, Safe America offers education and safety instruction covering everything from basic vehicle operation to advanced topics such as overtaking other vehicles, risky situations, intersection hazards and special weather conditions.

More than 1,200 students have graduated from the Teen Driving Institute since its inception. For additional information on Safe America, including upcoming events, visit www.safeamerica.org or call 770-973-SAFE.

Marjorie Allen is market manager for automotive services at CCC Information Services Inc.

ABRA is a national damaged vehicle repair company specializing in collision repair, paintless dent removal and auto glass repair and replacement.