Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) has announced that Ford Motor Company Fund will provide over US$200,000 in grants to nine states and two U.S. territories as part of the Driving Skills for Life (DSFL), a national teen driving program developed in partnership between the two. The funding marks the first time a private sector company has given state highway safety agencies grants for teen driver safety programs.

The states selected to receive the grants, which were made available through an online application process, are Arizona, Tennessee, Florida, Vermont, Georgia, Wisconsin, Maryland, Northern Mariana Islands, New Mexico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Oregon.

“Ford is committed to vehicle safety and educating the public about key issues such as teen driver safety,” said Jim Graham, community relations manager for Ford Fund. “Our unique partnership with GHSA allows us to work closely with highway safety offices in the states and U.S. territories in bringing this initiative to communities across the country.”

The grants were awarded based on a description of need, how teens will benefit, program goals and objectives, media outreach, and the implementation plan. While using the program as a framework, each state or territory will increase the awareness of the hazards of teen driving and teach critical skills needed by youth to respond to the demands of the road. Many of the skills are not being taught in driver education courses. Core components of the program include an educator packet, hands-on training events, and an interactive Web site at DrivingSkillsForLife.com.