Plymouth, Mass.-based King Collision Centers announced it has launched a safe driving campaign that aims to keep area teenagers out of serious accidents.
“Obviously, you never want anybody to get hurt. On the other hand, we do earn our living repairing automobiles, so it’s more than a bit unusual for a collision center to be a central figure in a safe driving campaign,” said Bruce King, owner of King Collision Centers. “Frankly, in all my years in this business, I don’t think I’ve ever heard of another collision center doing something quite like this.”
King Collision says its Plymouth Safe Driving program is a multi-pronged approach to promoting safe driving habits for Plymouth North and Plymouth South high schools. Working with Plymouth Public Schools, the Plymouth Police Department and Commerce Insurance, King says it developed a Web site, www.plymouthsafedriving.org, offering safe driving and a safe driving contract for young drivers and their parents. The contract acts as the young driver’s pledge to drive responsibly.
Plymouth high school students who turn in a signed contract to their principal at either Plymouth North or South high school will be entered into a drawing for the Crash Prevention Training course (a $350 value) from drivers’ education company In Control http://www.driveincontrol.com/. In addition to the winner, everyone who signs a contract and submits it to their respective principal is eligible to take the In Control Crash Prevention course at a 10 percent discount.
“The In Control training has a phenomenal record, reducing crashes involving new drivers by 70 percent,” said David Antocci, vice president of claims at Commerce Insurance. “If that’s not incentive enough, most insurance companies offer a discount on your auto policy for drivers young and old who complete the In Control training.”
As a reminder for young drivers to drive safely, the Plymouth Safe Driving campaign has and will continue to place two smashed cars at high traffic locations in town, King Collision says. Most recently, the two cars were at the Plymouth North-Plymouth South Thanksgiving Day football game. In addition, volunteers manned a booth and handed out safe driving tips and the student-parent driver contracts.
Over the winter months, students in Plymouth South High School’s Technical Studies program will repair one of the smashed vehicles and then sell it. King says that spearheading the Plymouth Safe Driving campaign is a worthwhile cause, even if it’s potentially at the expense of getting business.
“The reality is that collision centers are never going to completely run out of business. With so many automobiles on the road, it’s just the law of averages,” said King. “With this campaign, if we can help just one kid become a better driver and avoid a serious accident, it’s well, well worth it.”
King Collision Centers operates three locations in Massachusetts.
More information:
• Plymouth Safe Driving
