There will be no screenings of
Signal 30 at
StreetSafe Driving Academy, a Main Line-based startup that aims to bring driver's ed into the future. Meg Kramer, CEO of StreetSafe, says teen driver education hadn't changed in the decades since the shock documentary was made, even though the world of the open road has undergone dramatic transformations. Kramer says the level of distraction is just getting worse, with cell phone conversations, texting while driving, and increased road rage.
"Ninety percent of people rate themselves as good or above average drivers, but that can't be right," says Kramer, citing "horrible national statistics. For example, we lose about 5,000 teen and 40,000 adult drivers every year, and the cost of teen accidents alone to the the insurance industry is estimated at $34 billion."
StreetSafe offers a comprehensive approach to teaching the lifelong skill of driving. Field trips, guest speakers, off-duty police officers as trainers, and a fleet of clean and safe vehicles round out a curriculum that does not come cheap, but, says Kramer, "When you think about driving as a skill our kids are going to rely on every day of their lives, shouldn't driver's ed be more effective and a positive experience?"
The StreetSafe basic training package includes 30 hours of accredited classroom training and three private coaching sessions out on the streets. Four new teen classes begin this week at its Bryn Mawr headquarters, The Shipley School, Episcopal Academy and Germantown Academy, and registration at all locations is open to all teens, regardless of school affiliation. StreetSafe provides students with
DriveSquare, a virtual reality driving simulator and also offers adult driver training and packages for commercial and fleet drivers.
Source: Meg Kramer, StreetSafe Driving Academy
Writer: Sue Spolan