It’s back to school time, and for many teens, that will mean driving themselves back-and-forth to school. Here are a couple of startling statistics to start the school year off: Vehicle crashes are the No. 1 killer of teenagers in America and nearly 3,000 teens die annually in such accidents, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Additionally, a AAA crash analysis showed that after-school weekday hours of 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. are nearly as dangerous for 16- and 17-year-old drivers as weekend nights. There are steps that teens and parents can take to help change these numbers.

To learn more, join the live chat with Susan M. Cischke – Group Vice President, Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering, Ford Motor Company – and Jack Peet – AAA Michigan Traffic Safety Manager – here on Thursday, September 1, 2011, at 1:30 p.m. EST.

Ford Driving Skills for Life (DSFL) was established in 2003 by Ford Motor Company Fund, the Governors Highway Safety Association, and a panel of safety experts to teach newly licensed teens the necessary skills for safe driving beyond what they learn in standard driver education programs.

Ford DSFL helps young drivers improve their skills in four key areas that are critical factors in more than 60 percent of vehicle crashes including:

• Hazard Recognition
• Vehicle Handling
• Speed Management
• Space Management

You can learn more about DSFL at drivingskillsforlife.com.

AAA has a full range of tools to help parents and teens throughout the whole learning-to-drive process. Keys2Drive provides parents an easy way to work with their teens through each step, from choosing a driver education program to deciding when solo driving is permitted. Visit teendriving.aaa.com for more information.

Susan Cischke responsibilities include influencing future environmental and safety regulations and assuring that Ford Motor Company meets or exceeds all safety and environmental regulations worldwide. She is responsible for establishing the long-term safety strategy for Ford, promoting aggressive standardization of product technology features delivering real world safety benefits. As the chief safety officer for Ford, she leads the Driving Skills for Life program, a partnership between Ford Motor Company and the Governor’s State Highway Traffic Association that teaches safe driving technique to teens.

Jack Peet is AAA Traffic Safety Manager for The Auto Club Group (ACG), the largest affiliation of AAA clubs in the Midwest. He oversees traffic and safety-related services, including Teen Driving Safety. He joined AAA after 27 years of service with the Michigan State Police, which included various managerial roles.