DALLAS, Oct. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- A teen's risk of being involved in a vehicle crash multiplies with each teen passenger in the vehicle,(1) which is why State Farm(R) is working this year's National Teen Driver Safety Week, Oct. 20-24, to reduce teen passenger distractions.

Addressing teen driver safety in October is especially important because the number of 16- and 17-year-old driver claims(*) involving injury or collision is expected to spike nearly 20 percent in October as compared to other months. According to State Farm's extensive claims database, October has averaged the highest number of teen vehicle crashes from 2003 to 2007.

To bring awareness to the teen vehicle crash epidemic among Texas teens, State Farm and The Texas Center for Service-Learning announced they have awarded 14 schools across the state of Texas Ready, Set, Drive! grants for youth-led, service-learning based projects totaling $63,500. State Farm Ready, Set, Drive! grants engage students in middle to high school levels in unique, ongoing service-learning projects focused on educating today's youth on the importance of driver safety and influencing young people's ability to make good choices when driving.

  The 2008 State Farm Ready, Set, Drive! grant recipients are as follows:

  -- Alderete Middle School (Canutillo ISD): El Paso, TX - $5000
  -- Archer City Elementary/Middle School and Junior High/High School
     (Archer City ISD): Archer City, TX - $5000
  -- Bel Air High School (Ysleta ISD): El Paso, TX - $5000
  -- Boles High School (Boles ISD): Boles, TX - $5000
  -- Calallen High School (Calallen ISD): Corpus Christi, TX - $5000
  -- Chapin High School (El Paso ISD): El Paso, TX - $3450
  -- Desert View Middle School (Ysleta ISD): El Paso, TX - $4750
  -- Llano Grande Center for Research and Development (in partnership with
     Edcouch-Elsa High School): Edcouch, TX - $4100
  -- Eden High School (Eden ISD): Eden, TX - $3000
  -- Harris County JJAEP: Houston, TX - $5000
  -- Rio Grande High School (Rio Grande City CISD): Rio Grande City, TX -
     $4000
  -- Rotary Club of Laredo Under Seven Flags (in partnership with United
     ISD): Laredo, TX - $5000
  -- Seagoville Middle School (Dallas ISD): Dallas, TX - $5000
  -- Ysleta Middle School (YISD): El Paso, TX - $4200


  (1) Chen, L-H.; Baker, S.P.; Braver, E.R.; and Li, G. 2000. Carrying
      passengers as a risk factor for crashes fatal to 16- and 17-year-old
      drivers. Journal of the American Medical Association 283:1578-82

  (*) This data was collected by adjusting for unequal numbers of days per
      month and excludes comprehensive, uninsured and underinsured claims

"State Farm has a strong commitment to young people, their safety and to the leadership they provide," said Sarah Reyna, Public Affairs Manager, State Farm Insurance. "Helping teens become safer drivers is critical because car accidents are the number one killer of teens. This grant is a way to empower teenagers themselves to address this important issue. When students have the opportunity to apply what they are learning to authentic problem solving, the result is powerful and spreads beyond what is contained in a textbook or classroom."

Parents can go to http://www.statefarm.com/teendriving for tips and tools to help keep teens safe on road.

About State Farm

State Farm(R) insures more cars and homes than any other insurer in the United States and is also a leading insurer in Canada. State Farm's 17,000 agents and 68,000 employees serve more than 76 million auto, fire, life and health policies in the United States and Canada, and more than 1.7 million bank accounts. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 31 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit statefarm.com(R) or in Canada statefarm.ca(R).

Source: State Farm

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