Why do we need Alive at 25?
Traffic crashes are the leading cause of teen fatalities, accounting for 44% of teen deaths in the U.S.
- Young drivers are involved in fatal crashes at more than twice the rate of all others
- The first year for a newly licensed teenage driver is the most dangerous, with more than one in five involved in crashes
- Each year nearly 6,000 teens are killed in vehicular accidents; more than 3,800 are drivers aged 15-20
- Annually, more than 326,000 young drivers are seriously injured
- Exceeding the posted speed limit or driving at an unsafe speed is the most common error in fatal teenage accidents
- More than 1,000 young drivers lose their lives each year in crashes because of an impaired driver, be it themselves or someone else
- Although this group represents about 7% of the nations’ licensed drivers, they are involved in nearly 15% of all fatal crashes
Research shows the leading cause of young driver accidents involve one or a combination of the following factors:
- Lack of awareness to the consequences of risk-taking behavior
- Inexperience with complexities of driving
- Peers in vehicle with the youthful driver
- Driving as a social activity
- Impaired driving to due road conditions, including driving at night
- Speeding
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
As a young driver or passenger, you can greatly reduce your risk by taking control of the situation. Committing to learning or changing your driving behavior makes personal, legal and financial sense.
What happens during the course?
This highly interactive 4 ½ hour program encourages young drivers between the ages of 16 and 24 to take responsibility for their driving behavior. Skill practices and on-the-spot defensive driving techniques help change bravado to confidence.
Our Alive at 25 instructors are Sonoma County Deputy Sheriffs and other local police agency officers. They use personal examples and even humor to get their point across. They use workbook exercises, interactive media segments, group discussions, role-playing, and short lectures to help young drivers develop convictions and strategies that will keep them safer on the road.
Alive at 25 is a driver’s awareness program, which is different from driver's education. This course is not a behind the wheel driving course. Alive at 25 is designed to teach young drivers to be aware of many of the typical driving hazards facing young motorists and to give them the skills to make good decisions that can save lives.
Anyone between the ages of 14-24 is welcome to take the course. You do not have to have a learner's permit or a driver's license. You will receive a certificate of course completion at the end of the course. If you are court ordered to attend the class, it is your responsibility to report your completion to the court directly.
Vehicle crashes are the #1 cause of death for people between the ages of 16 and 24. The National Safety Council, a leader in driver improvement training for more than 40 years, developed Alive at 25 to specifically target drivers in this age group.
- Since 1995, more than 400,000 young adults have learned life-saving defensive driving skills through Alive at 25.
- Courts and schools nationwide use Alive at 25 in their graduated license and violator programs.
- Sonoma County Courts have participated in the Alive at 25 program since its inception in 2006.
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.
How do I register for an Alive at 25 course?
You can register for an Alive at 25 by contacting the Community Education Department of the Santa Rosa Junior College or by clicking on the link below. The link will take you directly to the Alive at 25 registration page on the SRJC Community Ed website.
https://busapp02.santarosa.edu/CommunityEducation/ListCourses.aspx?ID=2009345
The National Law Enforcement Curriculum Alive at 25 program, a partnership of the National Safety Council, Colorado State Patrol and Colorado State Patrol Family Foundation, is a nationwide effort intended to create a national collaboration of law enforcement agencies who have internalized the mission of reducing automobile crashes involving young drivers and passengers.
