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Safety Customers Will Receive Five Percent Group Discount on Auto Insurance For Completing
Advanced Driver Training Program and Joining Safe Roads Alliance
Boston, Mass. (June 19, 2007) – Safety Insurance Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: SAFT)
today announced it will join forces with the non-profit group Safe Roads Alliance,
Inc. and the driver training and education center In Control Advanced Driver Training
MA LLC, to improve driver safety in Massachusetts. The partnership will help educate
drivers of all ages, with a particular focus on teens, about safe driving practices
and emergency response maneuvering to decrease the number of accidents and casualties
on Massachusetts' roads.
"The vast majority of car accidents are the result of driver error. Taking the time
to ensure that all drivers have the skills they need to handle dangerous driving
situations can largely reduce the number and severity of crashes," said George Murphy,
vice president, Safety Insurance. "We hope this partnership will help encourage
Safety Insurance policy holders and other Massachusetts drivers to become better,
safer drivers, and help them protect themselves and their loved ones from harm."
As part of this partnership, drivers who participate in a driver skills development
program at In Control and become members of Safe Roads Alliance will receive a five
percent group discount on their automobile insurance from Safety Insurance. In addition,
drivers with Safety Insurance coverage will also have the opportunity to participate
in the driver skills development program at In Control for only $75.00; more than
a 70 percent discount from the normal $299.00 enrollment fee.
"We are thrilled to team up with Safety Insurance and In Control," said James Hayward,
president, Safe Roads Alliance. "All three organizations share the goal of promoting
and enhancing safer driving in Massachusetts. Motor vehicle crashes are the number
one cause of death for 16 to 24-year-olds, and this collaboration will help us all
reach a broader audience and help decrease automobile-related tragedies."
Teen driver crashes are gaining attention. Statistics, like those below, demonstrate
the urgency of addressing this issue. According to Safe Roads Alliance:
- Motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death for 16-24 year olds at 48.5
percent – the next highest cause, homicide, follows at 15.2 percent
- Nationwide, 43 percent of first-year drivers and 37 percent of second-year drivers
are involved in car crashes
- In Control's Advanced Driver Training has been shown to reduce crashes by new drivers
by 70% (according to a four-year study conducted by the Vermont Cooperative Insurance
Company)
- Individuals ages 15 to 20 make up 6.7 percent of the total driving population, but
are involved in 20 percent of all crashes and 14 percent of motor vehicle deaths
- 65 percent of teen passenger deaths occur when another teenager is driving
- Nearly half of the fatal crashes involving 16-year-old drivers were single vehicle
crashes
- In the last decade, over 68,000 teens have died in car crashes
"Safety Insurance's support of our Advanced Driver Training program will help encourage
families to continue learning how to be better drivers long after driver education
courses are complete," said Dan Strollo, president, In Control. "This unique partnership
will encourage teens and parents to pay more attention to driver safety. We know
they will gain valuable skills to ensure their own and other drivers' safety, ultimately
saving lives."
About Safety Insurance
Safety Insurance was founded in 1979 with a belief that it would succeed as a company
if customers were given the best possible service. A leading provider of property
and casualty insurance in Massachusetts, Safety Insurance is the second largest
writer of private passenger automobile, and the third largest writer of commercial
automobile insurance in Massachusetts. Safety Insurance offers a portfolio of other
personal lines insurance products, including, homeowners, dwelling fire, and personal
umbrella. In addition, Safety Insurance also offers commercial lines insurance products
including, business owner policies, commercial package policies, and commercial
umbrellas. Safety Insurance's direct written premium for all product lines in 2006
was $629 million. Sold exclusively through a network of professional independent
agents, Safety Insurance provides agents with state-of-the-art tools that make it
easy to service and protect their customers. Safety Insurance has consistently received
an "A" rating from A.M. Best.
About Safe Roads Alliance
Safe Roads was formed in 2006 as a not-for-profit Massachusetts organization dedicated
to promoting safer driving. A principal program of Safe Roads is our High School
Outreach Program. We offer free presentations to students and parent groups by professional
drivers and others on emergency driving skills. Safe Roads also provides educational
services to other groups on different aspects of driving safety, including: issues
confronting elderly drivers, maintaining a vehicle for safe operation, child restraint
systems, seat belt usage, reducing driving distractions, and driver courtesy and
reduction of road-rage. Our programs are made possible by the generosity of our
sponsors and donors. For more information about Safe Roads Alliance, please visit:
www.SafeRoadsAlliance.org
Contributions to Safe Roads Alliance, Inc. are tax-deductible under Section 501(c)(3)
of the Internal Revenue Code.
About In Control Advanced Driver Training
In Control Advanced Driver Training was founded in 2002 by professional racecar
driver Brandon Bogart in an effort to lower the number of teenage accidents caused
by driver error. The half-day In Control program is an extreme driver training course
designed to not only teach participants the appropriate way to respond to unavoidable,
real-life road situations, but also to instill lifelong attitudes that make safer
drivers…not to mention, it's fun. This hands-on education was adapted from existing
law enforcement training that Bogart has been instructing for more than a decade.
The course is held on closed airport runways and other large paved areas where students
are able to practice emergency maneuvers in a safe environment. In Control operates
a fixed site facility at the South Weymouth Naval Air Station and a mobile classroom
which serves locations throughout New England including North Andover, Massachusetts.
For more information about In Control Advanced Driver Training, please visit: www.WeDriveInControl.com.
For more information, contact:
Sarah Gerrol
Morrissey & Company
617-523-4141
Sarah@Morrisseyco.com
George Murphy, Vice President, Marketing
Safety Insurance
617-951-0600 x3053
GeorgeMurphy@SafetyInsurance.com
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