MADD
“Crash Car” Exhibit and CHP Start Smart Program to Come to CIG Insurance’s 2nd
Annual Community Safety Saturday™ September 6, 2014, in Monterey, California
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) hopes its dramatic exhibit will influence behavior
to stop drunk driving. CHP Public Information Officer, Jaime Rios will talk to teens and parents about the Start Smart Teen Driving Program.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) hopes its dramatic exhibit will influence behavior
to stop drunk driving. CHP Public Information Officer, Jaime Rios will talk to teens and parents about the Start Smart Teen Driving Program.
Monterey, CA (August, 2014) –- The
MADD Central Valley Chapter will bring the dramatic "Crash Car"
Exhibit to CIG Insurance’s 2nd Annual CIG Community Safety
Saturday™. Parents and teens will have the opportunity to learn about the
CHP’s Start Smart program, a driver safety education class which targets new
and future licensed teenage drivers between the age of 15 - 19 and their
parents/guardians. CIG Community Safety Saturday will take place at
Capital Insurance Group, 2300 Garden Road, on Saturday, September 6, 2014, from
10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
MADD can see a future without drunk driving
The “MADD Crash Cars” are visual educational
tools presented with the intention to change behaviors and attitudes concerning
the dangers of drinking and driving and riding with an impaired driver. The
“Crash Car” Exhibit also addresses the excessive use of speed and the failure
to use seat belts, and explains the roles that each of these factors play in
the injury or death of loved ones.
The MADD booth will feature graphic displays
of auto accidents. Volunteers will distribute informational material related to
the dangers and prevention of drunk driving. Victoria Flores, MADD Chapter
Leader and Victim Advocate, explains, “Over 10,000 people in the United States
are killed by drunk drivers every year. On average, someone is killed in a
drunk driving crash every 51 minutes. In 2011, 226 children were killed in
drunk driving crashes. These tragedies are 100% preventable."
CHP believes education is a key to teen driving safety
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause
of death for teens in the United States and CIG Insurance is committed to
helping to keep teen drivers safe.
Parents and teens will have the opportunity
to learn about and sign up for the CHP Start Smart teen driving program at CIG
Community Safety Saturday. Jaime Rios, Public Information Officer,
California Highway Patrol remarks, “One of the things that teens need to
realize is that a vehicle becomes a deadly weapon when in the hands of someone
who is not being responsible. Both Teens and their parent or guardian
attend the class together. We want them coming out of the class realizing
that their actions don’t just affect them --they affect passengers, other
drivers, families and friends.”
Kathy and Fred Forgnone lost their daughter,
Vanessa, in a car crash in 2002. Since then, they have been volunteering and
speaking to teens and parents at classes and at CIG Community Safety
Saturday events. Kathy Forgnone remarks, “I think the classes elicit
conversation between teens and parents, probably on the way home from the class
and at the dinner table with the whole family - there are real ‘heart to heart’
discussions.”
Arne Chatterton, CIG Vice President of Field
Operations & Business Relations explains, “We are committed to spreading
the message about driver safety classes for teens and making sure there is
communication with parents. Programs like the CHP Start Smart Class make quite
an impact in every community they touch.”
CIG Community Safety Saturday was developed by a CIG Insurance
employee in 2010 and has been held throughout California and Nevada ever since.
The event features activities, demonstrations, and educational services
designed to improve the safety and security of children, teens, families, and
communities. People of all ages will enjoy free games, prizes, and a wealth of
materials and information from many different booths staffed by local and
regional organizations.
CIG Community Safety
Saturday will feature the following attractions:
Special
Presentations for:
o Jaws of Life Demonstration at
11:30 am provided by the Monterey Fire Department
o Whiskie the Whale Spotter™,
the famous rescue dog from Marine Life Studies, will perform whale tricks at
11:00 am and 1:00 pm
· California
Highway Patrol will coordinate the child car-seat inspection station. They will
also bring safety handouts and present information about their CHP Start Smart
Driver Education classes available statewide for teens and their parents. Start
Smart classes increase traffic-safety knowledge and better prepare teens for
the road ahead. Fred and Kathy Forgnone will be on hand to talk with
attendees about the Start Smart program.
· Monterey
Police Department will bring a squad car as well as crime prevention
information.
· Monterey
County Sheriff’s Office–Coastal Station Monterey will bring crime prevention
handouts as well as their K-9, SWAT Team, and Search and Rescue vehicles. They
will also do “meet and greets” with their K-9 team.
· Monterey County
Crime Prevention Officers Association will provide safety brochures.
· Monterey Fire
Department will bring a 55' ladder fire engine and safety information. They
will also conduct a Jaws of Life demonstration showing how they cut open a car
when necessary to free a driver trapped inside.
· American Red
Cross–Monterey Bay Area Chapter will give out Family Disaster Plans. Test
your knowledge of Disaster Readiness and win prizes when you spin the “Wheel of
Preparedness”.
· California Department
of Forestry and Fire Protection (CALFIRE) will bring a fire engine and fire
safety materials.
· California
Governor’s Office of Emergency Services will provide educational materials
about how to prepare for earthquakes and tsunamis.
· Monterey County
Office of Emergency Services will bring emergency preparedness information.
· U.S. Coast Guard
Auxiliary will bring water and boating safety materials as well as
environmental protection information.
· Boy Scouts of
America–Silicon Valley Monterey Bay Council will provide emergency survival and
safety tips.
· Girl Scouts of
California’s Central Coast will provide safety information.
· Young artists
from Youth Arts Collective will be on hand to sketch portraits and share
information about YAC, the local after school art studio and mentoring program
for artists, ages 14-22.
· Independent
Transportation Network of Monterey County will bring information about its
organization that offers rides to seniors and the visually impaired in Monterey
County, California.
· United Way
Monterey County will have an information booth including handouts about the
2-1-1 program.
· U.S. Forest
Service will bring informational handouts as well as a wildland fire engine.
Smokey Bear will also be on hand if he’s not busy fighting a forest fire!
· Sponsored by
First 5 of Monterey County, MY Museum will bring the Wheelie Mobilee, a
playground for the mind and so much more.
· Restorative
Justice Partners will bring information about dispute resolution programs that
foster empathy, accountability and restoration of fairness to victims and the
community.
· Family
Service Agency of the Central Coast/Suicide Prevention Service of the Central
Coast will have a bean-bag toss and tic-tac-toe game and distribute their
brochures and STOP cards.
·
KlaasKids Foundation will conduct a Print-A-Thon that provides digital photo
IDs & fingerprinting for every child.
· Community Emergency
Response Volunteers (CERV) of the Monterey Peninsula will give out materials
about turning off the gas/electricity and water in emergencies and simple
medical responses learned in CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) training.
· Recovers.org
will provide information about community resilience and their project in
Seaside and Monterey.
· Central
Coast CERT Association will provide emergency preparation information.
· MADD
(Mothers Against Drunk Driving) will bring their “crash car” and provide
handouts about the dangers of drinking and driving.
· The
U.S. Coast Guard will bring their boat and the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary will
provide water, boating and environmental protection information. Auxtter the
Sea Otter mascot will also be on hand.
·
Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District will provide information about trail
hiking and wildlife safety.
· YWCA
Monterey County will present information about domestic violence and the
services it offers at both its Seaside and Salinas locations.
· YMCA
will provide “Healthy Family Home” handouts and youth development
information.
· Marine
Life Studies will share information about protecting whales, dolphins and other
marine wildlife and observing them safely in the wild. Whiskie the Whale
Spotter™, a rescue dog, will perform her whale tricks and attendees will learn
how Whiskie spots whales from Marine Life Studies' research boat in the
Monterey Bay National Sanctuary.
· Monterey
County Boys and Girls Club will have a Wheel of Fortune Safety Game and
information about their organization.
· Community
Partnership for Youth will bring face painters and offer a lanyard-making
activity.
·
KION/Telemundo is the media sponsor.
· Radio
station 101.7 The Beach will provide music and prize giveaways.
At the
conclusion of CIG Community Safety Saturday, a drawing will be held for
exciting, family- oriented prizes, such as an annual family membership to the
Monterey Bay Aquarium, Family Plus annual memberships to MY Museum, four season
passes to the 2015 Monterey County Fair, four passes for whale watching at
Randy’s Whale Watching & Fishing, four passes to a performance at the
Pacific Repertory Theatre, four passes for kayaking from Adventures By The Sea,
a family pass to Elkhorn Slough Safari Nature Tours, and a family pass to the
Monterey Zoo.
For more
information about the event, please go to www.CIGsafetysaturday.com
or call
