Alive At 25

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
  1. Young drivers are involved in fatal crashes at more than twice the rate of all others.
  2. The first year for a newly licensed teenage driver is the most dangerous with more than 1 in 5 involved in crashes.
  3. Each year, nearly 6,000 teens are killed in vehicular accidents; more than 3,800 are drivers ages 15-20.
  4. Annually, more than 326,000 young drivers are seriously injured.
  5. In 2005, there were 709 young drivers that were killed in vehicle collisions in Oklahoma.
  6. Exceeding the posted speed limit or driving at an unsafe speed is the most common error in fatal teenage accidents.
  7. More than 1,000 young drivers lose their lives each year in crashes because of an impaired driver, be it themselves or someone else.
  8. Young drivers are involved in nearly 28% of all crashes, even though they represent only 15% of the nations' licensed drivers.
  9. 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:
  1. Lack of awareness to the consequences of risk-taking behavior
  2. Inexperience with complexities of driving
  3. Peers in vehicle with the youthful driver
  4. Driving as a social activity
  5. Impaired driving due to road conditions, including driving at night
  6. Speeding
  7. 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 since February 2007. 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, 11 schools in South Carolina have mandated the program, through parking permits. The Alive at 25 program is also being utilized in South Carolina and other states as a court ordered program for the 16-24 age group. Those with traffic violations as well as others arrested for alcohol related incidents, gang violence and/or shoplifting must complete the Alive at 25 program. In a recent study by the NSC South Carolina Chapter, 98% of participants said they would change their driving behavior after completing this course.

Partnerships

The Alive at 25's 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
  • Edmond Police Department
  • OSU-OKC Precision Driving Training Center
  • Latta Public Schools
  • Redlands Community College
  • Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs (OJA)
  • Oklahoma Department of Public Safety (DPS)
  • OSU Police Department (Stillwater)
  • Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP)
  • Bixby Police Department
  • Oklahoma Highway Safety Office (OHSO)
  • Miami Police Department & High School
  • Cherokee Nation Marshall Services
  • Mustang Police Department
  • Edmond Public Schools - Boulevard Academy/Special Service Center
  • Edmond Public Schools
  • Oklahoma Military Department
  • Integris Health
  • OG&E
  • Bethany Police Department
  • Hard Rock Casino & Resort
  • Tulsa County
Ideas for Implementation

The Alive at 25 program can also be utilized by courts statewide. The program offers targeted education specific to this age group and allows the court system to do more than just issue a fine and allows court flexibility. The overall goal of the Oklahoma Safety Council is to see the Alive at 25 program being offered to all high school students across the state. We envision the courts getting involved and teaming up with local police departments to get officers trained so you could start offering the Alive at 25 program as an offender program and charging a fee which could then be placed in a fund. These funds could then be used to cover the costs of offering Alive at 25 to local high school students free of charge.

Claremore Police Department is the first law enforcement agency to use this suggested model. Claremore anticipates teaching the Alive at 25 program to all students in its first year and then offering it to all incoming freshmen each year following. The key to Alive at 25 is being proactive, which is why we feel going back into the high schools with the program is just the right thing to do.

Who can take the course?

Anyone between the ages of 14-24 is welcome to attend the course. You don't need to have a learner's permit or a driver's license prior to taking the course.

What happens during the course?

The course provides important information about the dangers facing young motorists and how to remain safe on the road. The course is 4 hours long and takes place in an interactive classroom setting, which includes instructional videos and class discussion. All students will receive a certificate of course completion at the end of the course.

Will this course reduce my insurance rates?

It depends on your insurance provider. Please contact them directly to see if that completion of this course provides any insurance reduction benefits.

Is this a driver education course?

Alive at 25 is a four hour defensive driving program which focuses on the behaviors of driving not necessarily the mechanics which is different from driver's education. This course does not offer behind the wheel training, it is all classroom instruction. Alive at 25 is designed to teach young drivers to be aware of many of the typical driving hazards facing young motorists.

Oklahoma Statistics

According to the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office, there were 709 drivers and/or passenger fatalities for the age group of 15-24 since 2005.

  • 2005 - 184 fatalities
  • 2006 - 177 fatalities
  • 2007 - 173 fatalities
  • 2008 - 175 fatalities (preliminary)
2007

There were 364,726 licensed drivers age 16-to 24 in Oklahoma. The drivers ages 16 to 24 represent 14.8% of all the licensed drivers.

21.6% (108 of 501) of all driver fatalities were age 16-to 24.

23.4% (164 of 700) of all driver and passenger fatalities were age 16-to 24.

2006

There were 374,853 licensed drivers in Oklahoma. The drivers ages 16 to 24 represent 15.3% of all the licensed drivers.

27% of all driver fatalities were drivers ages 16-to 24.

29.8% of driver fatalities were drivers or passengers ages 16-to 24.

If you're interested in getting involved and/or supporting the Alive at 25 program, contact the Oklahoma Safety Council at 405-848-8626.