WEST PALM BEACH — State Farm® is proud to support the Florida Teen Safe Driving Coalition with a $60,000 grant to promote traffic safety education among parents, teens, and law enforcement statewide. In the past 12 years, State Farm has awarded over $365,000 in grants to the coalition.

The new grant will fund several projects aimed at reducing the number of teen-related traffic crashes in Florida, including:

• Development of a comprehensive Battle of the Belts Kit for statewide distribution, encouraging the adoption of safety belt usage among teens.

• Printing of extra Ground Your Parents Kits, available statewide, fostering communication between parents and teens regarding safe driving habits.  To get kits visit: To get kits visit: https://flteensafedriver.org/ground-your-parents/

• Sponsorship of 10 presentations by a traffic safety speaker, visiting high schools in Florida to educate teens about the crucial significance of safe driving.

• Provision of educational materials supporting traffic safety to Florida parents/caregivers, teens, and law enforcement, promoting awareness and understanding of safe driving practices.

Traffic collisions stand as the primary cause of fatalities among teenagers, despite being preventable. Novice teen drivers, as highlighted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA), face a twofold higher likelihood of being engaged in fatal car crash compared to their adult counterparts. This heightened risk is predominantly attributed to their limited experience and a reluctance to assert themselves when feeling unsafe while driving.

“State Farm has remained a committee partner toward keeping teens safe on the roads,” said Melissa Valido, Coalition Leader of the Florida Teen Safe Driving Coalition. “This funding allows us to persist in our commitment to enhancing the safety of Florida’s roads, enabling us to extend vital education and resources to parents, teens, and law enforcement for a lasting positive impact.”

This grant will help the Florida Teen Safe Driving Coalition address this issue by providing essential education and resources to Florida’s youth.

“Empowering through education is paramount in reducing teen-involved crashes on Florida’s roads,” emphasized Jose Soto, Corporate Responsibility Analyst at State Farm. “We take pride in our support for the Florida Teen Safe Driving Coalition as they tirelessly advance their mission to advocate for and promote comprehensive traffic safety education.”

State Farm has provided funding to support the continuation of the Ground Your Parents Safe Driving Campaign since 2020, an effort to raise awareness among parents of the important duty they have to model safe driving behavior for their teens. According to NHTSA, parents are the number one role-model and influencer when it comes to teen safe driving habits. The goal of the campaign is to get teens talking to their parents about “practicing what they preach” when it comes to driving safe.