Birmingham, AL – Children’s of Alabama Health Education and Safety Center will continue its mission to enhance teen driving safety, thanks to a generous $64,000 grant from State Farm. The funding will support the URKEYS2DRV Teen Driver Safety Summits and teen driving education sessions across Alabama.
Since its inception in 2014, the URKEYS2DRV program has provided thousands of junior high and high school students with an interactive learning experience. These sessions include personal testimonies from individuals affected by teen driving crashes, as well as hands-on activities simulating the dangers of distracted and impaired driving.
“Thanks to State Farm, the URKEYS2DRV Teen Driver Safety Summits have touched the lives of so many students,” said Marie Crew, Health Education and Safety Center Coordinator at Children’s of Alabama. “This continued partnership will allow us to remain dedicated to our goal of reaching as many young drivers as possible and equipping them with the tools and knowledge they need to stay safe on the roads.”
Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death and injury among children in the United States. Alabama ranks fifth in the nation for teenage fatalities resulting from motor vehicle crashes each year. Through its educational initiatives, the URKEYS2DRV program aims to instill safer driving habits in young drivers, ultimately reducing the number of accidents statewide.
Children’s of Alabama, in collaboration with State Farm and other agencies, hosts at least three Teen Driving Safety Summits annually, ensuring widespread outreach to young drivers across the state.
Since 1911, Children’s of Alabama has provided specialized medical care for ill and injured children, offering inpatient, outpatient, and primary care throughout Central Alabama. Ranked among the best children’s hospitals in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, Children’s serves patients from every county in Alabama and nearly every state. The private, not-for-profit medical center is also the teaching hospital for the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) pediatric medicine, surgery, psychiatry, research, and residency programs. The medical staff consists of UAB faculty, full-time physicians from Children’s, and private practicing community physicians.
