ERIE and Maria’s Message Continue to Spread the Safe Driving Message to Teens

Teen drivers have always been at risk due to their inexperience behind the wheel. Today, they face another obstacle in the form of constantly buzzing phones, screens built into cars and more. The facts show that distracted driving is a major danger.

One person who is helping teens curb distracted driving is Dom Tiberi. The Columbus, Ohio, newscaster tragically lost his daughter Maria three years ago when the car she was driving hit the back of a stopped semi-truck trailer. Investigators ruled that the cause of the accident was “an unknown distraction.”

In the year after her passing, Dom launched a campaign to raise awareness about the dangers of distracted driving. The cornerstone of the campaign is Maria’s Message, a pledge named for his late daughter that asks for a commitment to avoid distractions while driving.

ERIE is proud to continue supporting Dom’s campaign. Together, ERIE and Dom have shared the safe driving message to more than 40,000 high school students. Dom also prompted Ohio state lawmakers to declare September Distracted Driving Month. See the video below to learn a little more about this special partnership between ERIE and Dom.

ERIE is also proud to once again sponsor Shift, an annual safe teen driver program that uses fun, interactive activities to help teens learn about and spread the safe driving message. This year’s contest, which runs until Oct. 21, lets students compete for prizes by creating safe driving videos, taking a safe driver pledge and sharing content on Facebook® and Twitter®. To view the full program website and to learn more, visit Jointheshift.org.