Mercedes-Benz Making Our Teens Better Drivers

Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy helping to increase awareness about dangers of distracted driving helping teens become safer and more responsible drivers

In support of National Distracted Driving Awareness Month and California Teen Safe Driving Week,Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy is teaming up with Impact Teen Drivers, California Office of Traffic Safety and California Highway Patrol (CHP) to host teen driver safety events in Southern California. The events are designed to increase awareness about the dangers of distracted driving and help teens become safer and more responsible drivers.

As part of the events in Los Angeles and San Diego, Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy, a California DMV-certified teen driving school, is coaching teens through a closed distracted driving course. The demonstrations will take place at Birmingham High School in Van Nuys, CA on Wednesday, April 2 and at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego on April 3.

For a third year, Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy is hosting driver safety demonstrations during National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. Mercedes-Benz has been at the forefront of vehicle safety and innovation throughout its 128-year history. The Driving Academy is a natural extension of the company’s goal of accident-free driving.

The driving demonstrations allow students to drive on a closed course, first without distractions, and then again with the introduction of distractions – ranging from noisy passengers to cell phone usage to performing simple tasks within the vehicle.

“The number one cause of death amongst teens is car crashes, with 90% of crashes due to driver error. It’s disheartening because these tragedies are preventable,” said Carolyn Duchene, director of Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy. “Parents can make a huge difference by simply being role models behind the wheel.”

To help avoid driving distractions, Duchene offers these tips for both parents and teens:

Before you leave

  • Plan ahead by mappingout and review ingyour route before you start your drive
  • Adjust mirrors, seats, climate control and radio before you start driving  or ask your passenger
  • Turn off your cell phone or place it out of reach. Store it in a glove compartment, back seat or in the trunk
  • Have a snack prior to driving to help avoid eating while you are driving

While driving

  • Pull over if you need to make a call or send a text message
  • Be a responsible passenger. Do not allow anyone to drive you if they are distracted
  • Do a “head-check”: How are you feeling? Are you anxious? Do you feel sick? Are you feeling stressed out? Make sure your mind is on driving before you even make your trip!

Throughout April, Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy is offering free Parent Teen Workshops in Los Angeles, Orange County. Later this spring workshops will also be available in San Diego County. During the workshops, certified Mercedes-Benz Driving Coaches provide valuable information on Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) laws, teen driving statistics, strategies for safe driving, and tips on how to choose the best driving school to meet your needs.

For more details interested teens and parents should contact the Academy directly at 855-MBDA-USA (855-623-2872) or visit us online at MB-DrivingAcademy.com.

Mercedes-Benz Teen Driving Academy in San Diego

Mercedes-Benz USA will begin offering a teen driving academy in 2014 for the San Diego area

According to the CDC, in the U.S., Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of teen deaths, a startling realization when so many of us send our kids off to school in their own cars.  To help combat the problem, Mercedes-Benz USA has announced that they will begin offering teen driver education and training in San Diego through its DMV-certified Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy beginning in 2014.  The Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy offers a unique approach to driver training that is designed to develop key decision-making skills, educate parents on coaching their new teen driver and create safer and more responsible drivers for life.  We’ve recommended the AMG Driving Academy in the past, not only as a way to experience AMG Models but also as a great way to increase your skills and make you a better driver overall.  We’re very happy to hear that MBUSA is continuing to make the roads safer by expanding it’s teen driving academy.

“Distracted driving is only one of the many challenges that today’s teens face on the road,” said Carolyn Duchene, director of the Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy. “Our goal at Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy is to develop safer teen drivers and provide parents with some peace of mind. At the same time, parental involvement is the key to avoiding needless tragedies behind-the-wheel.”

“Mercedes-Benz has a long history and continuous efforts to improve vehicle safety. The Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy is a natural extension of our ongoing commitment to accident-free driving,” Duchene said. Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy launched in Los Angeles in 2011 as the first international teen driving school, and now offers programs in Orange County.

Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy’s approach is designed to reinforce current policies which serve to enhance new driver safety such as the Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) rules. The GDL framework provides for compulsory driver’s education, combining classroom or online learning, on-road training, mandatory supervised practice, and restricted driving privileges once a novice driver starts driving solo. Through the use of an integrated program to reinforce learning points throughout the learner driver period, combined with parental involvement, the students can realize greater benefits of GDL.

Prior to launch, Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy will offer complimentary Parent-Teen Workshops and work with Mercedes-Benz Dealerships and local schools to bring teen driver safety programs to the market. These workshops will help educate parents and teens on GDL laws & restrictions, DMV requirements for obtaining a license and permit, and tips on how to choose the best driving school to meet their goals.

According to a recent report, fatal crash rates among 18 and 19 year old drivers have increased nationally  following the enactment of Graduated Driver License (GDL) programs. One explanation is that teens are simply waiting until they are 18 years old when the GDL no longer applies to them. Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy’s coaching approach is beneficial for drivers of all ages, including licensed drivers who want to hone their skills behind the wheel.

For more information on Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy or any of the activities mentioned above, visit Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy or call 888-MBDA-USA.

Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy Providing Free Teen Programs

Mercedes-Benz distracted driving demonstrations and workshops bring attention to driver education

Noticing the signs of a distracted teen driver and talking to teens about the consequences are first steps parents can take to help improve road safety. This April marks the third annual National Distracted Driving Awareness Month and Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy is joining forces with advocacy groups, including Impact Teen Drivers, in an effort to raise awareness of the effects of teen distracted driving through free programs including a distracted driving demo, Parent & Teen Workshops and driving assessments. Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy, a state-certified driving school, aims to prepare teens for today’s driving environment and create safer and more responsible drivers for life.

On April 2nd at Calabasas High School, Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy is offering distracted driving demonstrations to teens as part of California Teen Safe Driving Week, which kicks off National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. The demonstration allows students to first drive a closed course without distractions and then again with the introduction of distractions – ranging from noisy passengers to cell phone usage to performing simple tasks within the vehicle. This demonstration provides a firsthand experience with the physical and emotional effects of driving distracted. Throughout the month of April, Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy is offering free Parent & Teen Workshops at their facility located at 8231 West 3rd Street in Los Angeles. During the workshops, coaches are providing valuable information on Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) laws, teen driving statistics, and strategies for safe driving. Additionally, during the month of April the Academy is offering free assessments drives. Parents can also download a copy of the “Top 10 Tips for Parents of Teen Drivers“.

A 2012 report from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) revealed the number of teenage drivers who died in crashes increased by 11 percent in the first half of 2011 after an eight year decline. Additionally, teens are more likely than any other age group to be involved in a fatal crash where distraction is reported, according to the National Highway Safety Transportation Association (NHTSA). Both new and used Mercedes-Benz passenger cars have added safety features but the truth is, distracted driving is a major problem for drivers. “Teens are now faced with more distractions behind the wheel, compared to previous generations of new drivers,” said Marc Hemsworth, senior driving coach at Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy and former LAPD officer and chief driving instructor. “Reinforcing the dangers of distracted driving and being a good role model are a few ways parents can help improve driver safety for their teens and everyone on the road.”

For more details and to schedule a one hour drive, interested teens and parents should contact the Academy directly at 855-MBDA-USA or 855-623-2872.

Mercedes-Benz USA Teen Driving Academy in Final Stages

Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy is finalizing both its facility and curriculum, presenting a new approach to driver education

The Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy isn’t just for experience drivers anymore.  The first Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy for teen driver’s, located on W. 3rd Street in Los Angeles, California, is nearly finished and ready to take on new pupils.

Working alongside an independent team of professionals in transit and driver education, the Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy is finalizing both its facility and curriculum – presenting a new approach to driver education while meeting and exceeding California DMV requirements.

Mercedes-Benz, a leader in automobile safety, is making a major commitment to driver education and safety in Southern California to combat the alarming statistics surrounding teen car crashes in the region. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number one cause of death amongst adolescents ages 15-20 is a car crash. National averages show that teens are most likely to have a significant crash in their first year of driving, four-times higher than an adult or experienced driver.

The new methodologies and approach for the Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy is based on findings of the highly acclaimed HERMES research group, including European traffic safety organizations and institutions, confirming the most effective methods for both teaching and learning. Coaching, a learner-centered method, will lead students out of the passive consuming of safety information into the role of actively producing safe driving results by making better decisions on the road.

Proven successful at the Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy in the U.K., the California Academy program is a customized curriculum involving a highly interactive, participatory system of key tactical on-line and classroom components in conjunction with appropriate on-road training. With this approach, maneuverability and decision-making processes are developed for Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy students through role-playing, case studies, dilemma games, witness accounts, brainstorming and coaches’ questions. Today, many schools are set on traditional teaching to the test or promoting rote memorization.

Mercedes-Benz is part of a growing movement towards placing a higher value on driver education in general. For the past year, Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy has been working with the California State PTA and partnered with IMPACT Teen Drivers, including giving a grant to provide important safety workshops at over 20 Los Angeles area schools.

“We are leading a path to modify and update driver education to accommodate the incredible changes in the driving landscape that have transpired over the past six decades,” said Academy Director Carolyn Duchene. “Road conditions, technology, distractions, traffic and other externalities including a record number of drivers today along with road improvement projects require a totally new approach to ensure teens become safe and responsible drivers,” she continued.

The Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy will offer a variety of programs for teens and new drivers at various stages of their learning process, taking full advantage of the Graduated Driver Licensing framework in California with a heavy focus on the importance of parental involvement, which leads to practice and positive reinforcement for success.

  • The most comprehensive program for those at the beginning of their learning phase incorporates an engaging, on-line theory component interspersed with corresponding blocks of road application designed to better prepare new drivers with more critical thinking and road strategy.
  • An on-road, behind-the-wheel program is available for those who already have their learner’s permit.
  • Customized programs can also be provided to further refine driving skill sets for any age or level.

The MBDA operations and training center, which is in the final stages of the build out, is strategically located with access to the Los Angeles Metro area and close proximity to several premier shopping centers. “We chose the location for the first U.S. Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy to meet the needs of our students and their families – and that includes accessibility to many neighborhoods, close proximity to several major highways and shopping destinations for parent convenience,” Duchene said.

Mercedes-Benz plans to announce additional Driving Academy locations in the future and is engaged in active, ongoing recruitment for driving instructors. For more information on employment opportunities and enrollment, please visit www.mbdrivingacademy.com.