Join the Shift is a safe driving program offered through Erie Insurance that teaches teens how to make smart choices behind the wheel. The goals of Shift are simple: to save lives and encourage safe driving, especially among young drivers.

Some of the components of the program include:

  • Jointheshift.org, an interactive and educational website with safe driving videos and tips.
  • A contest encouraging teens to create and share the Shift safe driving message with their peers for a chance to win cash prizes for themselves and their schools.
  • A driver safety pledge. (You can find a template at jointheshift.org.)
  • A variety of posters, flyers and other tools for teens to share within their schools and communities.

To learn more about Join the Shift, visit the official program website at jointheshift.org.

How You Can Help.

There’s a lot a trusted adult can do to positively influence a teen driver. To get started sharing the safe driving message with a teen, check out the information and links below.

The following tips are excerpted from “Small Gadgets, Big Danger” from the latest issue of Eriesense™ magazine. To read the entire article, visit eriesense.com.

  • Lead by example. A recent Consumer Reportssurvey found that 48 percent of young drivers witnessed their mother or father talking on a handheld phone while driving—and another 15 percent witnessed a parent texting while behind the wheel. Your teen is looking to you for cues, so be a role model and put down the phone.
  • Know your state’s driving laws. States are increasingly banning phone use while driving. So while your teen driver should have a hands-off phone policy because it’s the right thing to do, penalties for getting caught could serve as an extra incentive. Visit distraction.gov to brush up on your state’s distracted driving laws.
  • Sign a safe driving contract with your teen. Visit the Join the Shift to download one for free.
  • Point out what not to do. By raising awareness about other drivers’ carelessness while driving with a teen, you’ll reinforce the behaviors you want him or her to avoid.

The following articles offer additional information on safe teen driving: