Learn about our Alive at 25 grant funds (doc).
Did You Know?
Traffic crashes are the #1 cause of death for people between the ages of 16 and 24, accounting for 44% of teen deaths in the United States.
More than 3,800 young drivers are killed every year in traffic crashes. Approximately 30% of crashes killing young drivers involve alcohol.
Young drivers between the ages of 16 and 24 represent the largest group of problem drivers on the road. We need to go beyond basic driver's education and teach critical defensive driving techniques to young drivers once they have received their license and feel confident and "experienced". Providing this additional training is a must in order to make our nation's highways safer now and in the future.
What is Alive at 25?
The Alive at 25 program is focused on young adults between the ages of 15-24. Alive at 25 is designed to be an early intervention program to help prevent traffic violations, collisions, and/or fatalities. Topics addressed include speeding, distractions, aggressive driving, seat belts, impaired driving and other life-or-death issues pertinent to teen drivers. The purpose of this program is to educate young drivers to adopt safer driving practices, take responsibility for their behavior in various driving situations, and to be aware of peer pressure, environmental distractions, State Graduated Drivers License (GDL) requirements and driving hazards in general.
Alive at 25 is a survival course developed by the National Safety Council. Its main objective is to prevent the number of automobile accidents that claim the lives of our teens. Alive at 25 is taught exclusively by trained police officers or driver's education instructors. The course is taught in one 4 hour session which focuses on the behaviors young drivers and passengers display behind the wheel. Students learn about the devastating consequences of practicing risky driving behaviors. Watching interactive videos, sharing driving experiences, and role-playing various driving situations are just some of the ways these valuable lessons are taught.
Alive at 25 teaches young adults that:
- People in their age group are more likely to be hurt or killed in a vehicle crash.
- Inexperience, distractions, and peer pressure cause unique driving hazards.
- Speeding, alcohol, and "party drugs" greatly increase their risk of injury or death.
- As a driver or passenger, they can greatly reduce their risk by taking control.
- Committing to changing their driving behavior makes personal, legal and financial sense.
Facts for Thought
- Young drivers are involved in fatal crashes at more than twice the rate of all others.
- The first year for a newly licensed teenage driver is the most dangerous with more than 1 in 5 involved in crashes.
- Each year, nearly 6,000 teens are killed in vehicular accidents; more than 3,800 are drivers ages 15-20.
- Annually, more than 326,000 young drivers are seriously injured.
- In 2005, there were 709 young drivers that were killed in vehicle collisions in Oklahoma.
- Exceeding the posted speed limit or driving at an unsafe speed is the most common error in fatal teenage accidents.
- More than 1,000 young drivers lose their lives each year in crashes because of an impaired driver, be it themselves or someone else.
- Young drivers are involved in nearly 28% of all crashes, even though they represent only 15% of the nations' licensed drivers.
- The National Safety Council reports that students who complete the Alive at 25 course are 96% less likely to be killed in a car crash than youths that have not taken the course.
Research shows that the leading cause of young driver accidents involves one or a combination of the following factors:
- Lack of awareness to the consequences of risk-taking behavior
- Inexperience with complexities of driving
- Peers in vehicle with the youthful driver
- Driving as a social activity
- Impaired driving due to road conditions, including driving at night
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
Colorado's Success with Alive at 25
Colorado was the first state to implement the Alive at 25 program. Since 1995 over 400,000 people have completed the Alive at 25 program. The national fatality rate for people under the age of 20 is nearly 13 per 20,000. Currently, Alive at 25 graduates in Colorado have a fatality rate of 2.2 per 20,000, over 84% below the national average. In a recent study by the Colorado State Patrol, 93% of DDC-Alive at 25 participants said they would change their driving behavior as a result of the course.
South Carolina Success with Alive at 25
The South Carolina National Safety Council has been very successful with the Alive at 25 program. In Lexington, SC the school district implemented a program that required students to complete the Alive at 25 program in order to purchase a campus parking permit, if they decided to park on campus. To date, 103 schools in South Carolina have mandated the program, through parking permits. South Carolina began offering the Alive at 25 Program in February 2007.
Since then, fatalities among drivers ages 15-24 have decreased 41% statewide. More than 60,500 young adults ages 15-24 have taken the Alive at 25 course through the South Carolina Chapter of the National Safety Council; as of today only twenty have been involved in a fatal collision. The Alive at 25 program is also being utilized as a court ordered program for the 16-24 age group. Anyone with traffic violations as well as those arrested for alcohol related incidents must complete the Alive at 25 program.
The Alive at 25Ős goal is to collaborate with high schools, courts, state legislatures, communities and city/state officials and businesses in Oklahoma to become more proactive in keeping students alive and safe.
Current Partnerships - Law Enforcement
- Altus Police Department
- Ardmore Police Department
- Bartlesville Police Department
- Bethany Police Department
- Bixby Police Department
- Broken Arrow Police Department
- Chickasha Police Department
- Claremore Police Department
- Durant Police Department
- Edmond Police Department
- Elk City Police Department
- Forest Park Police Department
- Mays County Sheriff
- McAlester Police Department
- Miami Police Department
- Midwest City Police Department
- Moore Police Department
- Mustang Police Department
- Nicoma Park Police Department
- Norman Police Department
- Okeene Police Department
- Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP)
- Owasso Police Department
- Ponca City Police Department
- Sand Springs Police Department
- Seminole Police Department
- Shawnee Police Department
- Tulsa Police Department
- Wewoka Police Department
Current Partnerships - Native American Tribes
Current Partnerships - Schools
- Alva High School
- Asher High School
- Binger High School
- Carnigie High School
- Central High School
- Chickasha High School
- Edmond Public Schools - Boulevard Academy/Special Service Center
- Edmond Public Schools - Driver's Education
- Elgin High School
- Fairview High School
- Heavener High School
- Howe High School
- Kiefer High School
- Latta High School
- LeFlore High School
- Miami High School
- Mustang High School
- Poteau High School
- Sequoyah High School
- Town & Country High School
- Wewoka High School
- Wilburton High School
- Wister High School
- Yukon High School
Current Partnerships - Oklahoma Employers
- Chaparral Energy
- Chaparral Supply
- Cherokee Nation Marshall Services
- Hard Rock Casino & Resort
- Integris Health
- Linn Energy
- Oklahoma Army National Guard
- Oklahoma Department of Public Safety (DPS)
- Oklahoma Highway Safety Office (OHSO)
- Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs (OJA)
- OSU-OKC Precision Driving Training Center
- Tulsa County
Alive at 25 in Oklahoma
Since 2008, more than 8,208 young adults ages 15-24 have taken the Alive at 25 course in Oklahoma. The Alive at 25 program is also being utilized as a court ordered program for the 16-24 age group in Oklahoma County.
According to the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office, these are the statistics for drivers and/or passenger fatalities and crashes for the age group of 15-24 since 2007.
- 2011 - 132 fatalities
- 2010 - 123 fatalities
- 2009 - 159 fatalities
- 2008 - 175 fatalities
- 2007 - 173 fatalities
- 939 total fatalities from crashes 2006 thru 2011
- 153,222 total crashes from 2007 thru 2011
If you're interested in getting involved and/or supporting the Alive at 25 program, contact the Oklahoma Safety Council at 405-848-8626.