Government statistics show that traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for American teenagers between 15 and 19 years old. Europe and much of the world report a similar experience. To help reduce these tragedies, Ford Driving Skills for Life has been rolled out in 29 countries to strengthen essential skills in the areas shown to be the major contributors to crashes involving novice drivers.
“Continuing to drive out of it instead of just slamming on my brakes caused considerably more damage on the passenger side of my car, but I was safe and able to walk away after the accident…The Ford DSFL program really does save lives and it just may have saved mine.”
Ford DSFL is a free, hands-on driver training program that helps teens develop essential skills in several key areas - speed & space management, vehicle handling, hazard recognition and driver distraction. These situations present the most problems for new drivers and contribute to more than 60 percent of teen crashes – the number-1 cause of death for American teenagers
Hazard Recognition
The point of no return
How to scan for trouble
Minimizing distractions
Safety zones
Minimum vision lead time
Approaching and turning left at intersection
Vehicle Handling
Contact road patches
How acceleration, deceleration, braking and turns affect vehicle balance
Adjusting to a vehicle's size and weight
How to recover from skids in front- and rear-wheel drive vehicles
Speed Management
Driving at a speed that doesn't endanger or impede others
Using proper signals and covering the brake
Conventional braking systems versus anti-lock braking (ABS) systems
Emergency braking techniques
Space Management
Maintaining space around, ahead of and behind your vehicle
Learning how to adjust speed
Maintaining a safe distance between vehicles
How to avoid being rear-ended and avoiding a head-on crash
Distracted and Impaired Driving
Both distracted driving and impaired driving are addressed in both the hands-on and web-based curriculum