Learn to Drive | FORD DRIVING SKILLS FOR LIFE ANNOUNCES 2ND ANNUAL “BELT IT OUT” TEEN SAFE DRIVING SONGWRITING CONTEST

Ford Motor Company Fund and the Governors Highway Safety Association are intensifying their effort to educate teen drivers as they learn how to drive a car.  It’s about the dangers of distracted driving — such as texting while driving a car — through the nationwide Ford Driving Skills for Life (Ford DSFL) program.

Teens ages 15-19 are encouraged to compose and perform original songs focusing on distracted driving through a national songwriting competition entitled “Belt it Out.”  1st place winners will receive $5,000 savings bonds, 2nd place winners will receive $3,000 savings bonds, and 3rd place winners will receive $1,000 savings bonds.

Vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens, and inexperience and distractions play key roles in this alarming statistic especially when teens are still in their first year of learning to drive a car.

Ford Motor Company Fund is intensifying its efforts to educate teen drivers about the dangers of distracted driving – such as texting while driving a car – through its nationwide Ford Driving Skills for Life (Ford DSFL) program.   Ford DSFL was created in 2003 in partnership with the Governors Highway Safety Association to combat the #1 killer of teens, vehicle crashes. It is one of the nation’s most comprehensive teen driver safety programs for teens learning how to drive a car. Ford DSFL offers learning tools such as hands-on driving events and an interactive website (www.drivingskillsforlife.com) that features learning modules, quizzes, car care videos, and games. Free educator packets are available for students, parents, educators and community organizations.

Teens are invited to visit www.drivingskillsforlife.com to find a complete description of the contest and the application. Applications will be accepted from February 1-May 1, 2011. The public will be invited to visit www.drivingskillsforlife.com on June 1st to help select the top five finalists that will compete for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place grand prizes.

Winners of the competition will be announced on www.drivingskillsforlife.com in July of 2011. “We are very pleased to offer this exciting program to teen drivers for the second consecutive year,” stated Jim Graham, Community Relations Manager, Ford Motor Company Fund. “Belt it Out is an outstanding opportunity for teens to educate their peers about the dangers of distractions through creativity.”

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About Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services
Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services are committed to creating opportunities that promote corporate citizenship, philanthropy, volunteerism and cultural diversity for those who live in the communities where Ford operates. Established in 1949, and made possible by funding from Ford Motor Company, the Ford Motor Company Fund supports initiatives and institutions that foster innovative education, auto-related safety, and American heritage and legacy. National programs include Ford Partnership for Advanced Studies, which provides high school students with academically rigorous 21st century learning experiences, and Ford Driving Skills for Life — a teen-focused auto safety initiative. The Ford Volunteer Corps, established in 2005, continues Ford’s legacy of caring worldwide. Through the Volunteer Corps, Ford employees and retirees participate in a wide range of volunteer projects in their communities. For more information on programs made possible by the Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services, visit www.community.ford.com.

About the Governors Highway Safety Association
The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA)® is a nonprofit association representing the highway safety offices of states, territories, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. GHSA provides leadership and representation for the states and territories to improve traffic safety, influence national policy, enhance program management and promote best practices. Its members are appointed by their Governors to administer federal and state highway safety funds and implement state highway safety plans. Contact GHSA at 202-789-0942 or visit www.ghsa.org.