News Release                              For Immediate Release

                                                                                                                         May 14, 2009

Think and Drive - Are You Road Worthy?

With the Victoria Day long weekend coming up, more than 150 teen drivers and parents answered the question “Are you road worthy?” Teen drivers and their parents/guardians attended Think and Drive, held Tuesday at the Grey Bruce Health Unit. The interactive evening aimed to raise awareness of the risks, and to reduce the number of deaths, associated with motor vehicle collisions.

The number one killer of Grey Bruce teens is motor vehicle collisions. From 2000 to 2003, motor vehicle collisions were the leading cause of death for youth aged 15-19 in Grey Bruce; 26 of 33 deaths (79%) were caused by motor vehicle collisions!

Presentations included discussions on parent and teen responsibilities including the risks of multiple teen passengers, negotiating a driver contract between parents and teens, the new G1 and G2 legislation, how claims affect insurance rates and safe driving practices. There were also interactive displays including the OPP’s Rollover Simulator, free give-a-ways, food and a Grand Prize of $600 towards a youth’s driver education or vehicle insurance.

Sixteen year old Samantha Marlatt, a student at OSCVI was picked in a random drawn of eligible participants as the winner of the Grand Prize. Samantha will use the $600 towards the cost of her driver education.

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Attachment:  Photo – Jan Perry holds a photo of her son Drew and his friend Michael; both young men were killed in a motor vehicle collision. One of the Think and Drive presenters, Jan Perry is an advocate for mitigating the risks of multiple teen passengers in a vehicle.

For more information:

Denna Leach

Manager, Injury Prevention Program

Grey Bruce Health Unit

519-376-9420 or 1-800-263-3456 ext. 1462