Pictured from left: John Hardiman, NJM public affairs director; Dan and Pat Fitzpatrick, teen driver safety advocates; Erica Rosso, NJM personal lines; Violet Marrero, NJM consumer safety administrator; Deborah Hersman, National Safety Council chief executive officer.
Pictured from left: John Hardiman, NJM public affairs director; Dan and Pat Fitzpatrick, teen driver safety advocates; Erica Rosso, NJM personal lines; Violet Marrero, NJM consumer safety administrator; Deborah Hersman, National Safety Council chief executive officer.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among U.S. teens. The fact is, many of these crashes can be prevented. The National Safety Council (NSC), which was founded in 1913, and is one of the leading organizations dedicated to promoting health and safety in the United States, recognizes the work of individuals and companies who strive to promote and improve teen driver safety.

Each year, the NSC, along with the General Motors Foundation, presents the Teen Driving Safety Leadership Award to individuals or organizations that have made a positive contribution towards enhancing teen driving safety by:

  • Educating teens and their communities about safe driving habits; and
  • Using proven, evaluated methods to change behaviors to reduce teen crashes.

West Trenton-based NJM Insurance Group is one of this year’s recipients of the award, presented at the recent NSC Congress & Expo in Anaheim, CA. NJM was chosen for its driver safety initiatives including the donation of driving simulators, an educational Teen Driver Safety Program and a teen driver challenge – “SafetySaves” – whereby students used a mobile app to track their driving behaviors.

NJM is also a founding sponsor of the U Got Brains Champion Schools Program, a peer-to-peer initiative that promotes driving safety. As part of the program, NJM has donated more than 60 simulators to Champion Schools throughout the state.

As part of NJM’s Teen Driver Safety Program, retired police officers deliver presentations to high school students throughout the state about the risks they face as newly-licensed drivers, including the dangers of distracted driving. The presentations are provided at no cost to schools. Since the program’s inception, over 1,500 presentations have been delivered to more than 65,000 students at high schools throughout the state.

Violet Marrero, NJM’s Consumer Safety Administrator, oversees the company’s teen driver safety initiatives, and was on hand in Anaheim to accept the award. “We’re very grateful that the NSC chose to recognize our efforts this year,” said Marrero. “NJM has been committed to promoting and encouraging safety for more than a century, and we look forward to building on this accomplishment by continuing to develop and deliver safety programs that benefit teens, and indirectly all drivers with whom they share the road.”

To learn more about NJM’s safety initiatives, or to book a Teen Driver Safety presentation for the high school in your area, visit our website.