Auto Insurer Tackles Distracted Driving with School-Based Competition
October 19, 2017NJM Insurance Company announces "Just Drive" pledge campaign; commits $2,500 to winning high school
WEST TRENTON, NJ — NJM Insurance Company, one of New Jersey's leading automobile insurers, today announced that it is expanding its nationally recognized Teen Driver Safety Program to include "Just Drive" — an online pledge campaign aimed at reducing distracted driving.
High school students, along with their friends, family, and members of the community who have obtained either their license or permit are invited to take part. The school with the highest number of individual pledges will receive a $2,500 donation from NJM toward its Driver Education Program.
Participants should visit njm.com/Just-Drive-Pledge, read the pledge, and then enter the name of the high school they are attending or supporting. The deadline to take the pledge is 11:59 p.m. on January 31, 2018. The winner will be announced at a ceremony in March 2018.
The Just Drive pledge states, "I pledge to Just Drive. I will do my part to help put an end to distracted driving by driving safely. Beginning right now, I commit not to text or use my phone while I am driving. If I need to use my phone, I will pull over to the side of the road. I will also ask other drivers to do their part to end distracted driving. I pledge to make a difference."
"According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, 6 out of 10 teen crashes involve driver distraction," said Violet Marrero, NJM's Consumer Safety Director. "This campaign is intended to promote safe driving habits and challenge participants to stop texting or using their phone while driving, and we could think of no better time to announce it than this week, which is National Teen Driver Safety Week."
"All too often drivers, especially our youngest drivers, are involved in crashes that could have been avoided," said Andy Anderson, New Jersey Teen Driving Coalition President. "NJM’s Just Drive campaign is a great opportunity to drill home the message that driving while texting or participating in other distracting activities puts everyone at risk. We’re grateful that NJM continues to be such a strong voice in New Jersey in support of safe driving practices."
About NJM Insurance Company's Teen Driver Safety Program
NJM was founded in 1913 by policyholders, and has maintained a special relationship with them ever since — operating exclusively in their interests. The Company's enduring commitment to safety can be traced back to its earliest days, with a focus that has expanded from improving conditions in the manufacturing facilities that were once prevalent in New Jersey, to keeping drivers safe on our roadways.
NJM's Teen Driver Safety Program was launched in 2013 in honor of the Company's 100th anniversary. The Program is offered at no cost to high schools in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. It covers topics such as distracted, fatigued and impaired driving, and Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) laws. In 2016, NJM was selected by the National Safety Council as the recipient of its coveted Teen Driving Safety Leadership Award for its demonstrated results in changing behaviors and attitudes in young drivers, which help reduce teen crashes, injuries, and deaths. To schedule a presentation or learn more, visit njm.com/teen-driver-safety.