According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drivers aged 16-19 years old are four times more likely to experience a motor vehicle crash than adults. Further, such crashes are still the leading cause of death for teens in this country. Yet according to research cited by Mercedes-Benz, traditional U.S. guidelines for driver’s training “cannot reasonably be expected to transform a non-driver into a safe driver.”
Thus, the automaker is currently developing a new Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy aimed at preparing “students for today’s driving environment by going beyond basic car control skills and rote learning of traffic rules.”
“Despite the dramatic changes in vehicles, highways, and the driving environment over the past 60 years, driver education remains relatively unchanged in the U.S.,” said Alexander Hobbach, senior manager, Daimler AG. “The skills required to simply get a license do not fully prepare young drivers to meet the demands of the road. Mercedes-Benz recognizes this issue and as a result is creating an educational program for the U.S. that is based on the best teaching methods and tools available.”
The Academy, expected to open later this year, will leverage a mix of state-of-the-art teaching methods, classroom sessions, online learning opportunities and real-world, on-the-road training. And notably, Mercedes-Benz already has met with representatives of U.S. Departments of Motor Vehicles to ensure its curriculum fulfills all state and local requirements.
A similar program was launched in the United Kingdom in 2009 and has experienced impressive results. Some 79 percent of the Academy’s UK graduates passed their driving test on the first try, as compared to a national average of just 43 percent.
“As a company, we have a long history and continuous efforts to improve vehicle safety so the Driving Academy is a natural extension of Mercedes-Benz desire to achieve accident-free driving,” added Hobbach. “With only 10 percent of crashes being a result of technical failure and 90 percent due to human error, Mercedes-Benz sees an opportunity to actively improve drivers’ skills, focusing first on novice drivers, who are most at risk on U.S. roads.”
(via: Tysons Corner Mercedes)
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