Lookin’ Out Rolls On

Sept. 26, 2007 - Inexperience, distractions, speeding and immaturity are all factors that plague young drivers and lead to traffic crashes being the number one cause of death for people ages 4 to 34.

Now in its eighth year, Lookin’ Out, Erie Insurance’s safe teen driving program, continues to answer the call to promote responsible driving among teens and curb teen crashes and resulting injuries and deaths.

“Nearly 6,000 teens die every year from crashes that are, for the most part, preventable,” says Matt Bresee, public relations specialist and Lookin’ Out program coordinator. “The problem is recognized as a national epidemic and our Agents are using Lookin’ Out to help combat the problem.”

What began in 2000 with three high schools in the Erie City School District has since awarded grants to more than 70 schools throughout eight states in Erie Insurance’s territories. And the numbers continue to grow.

“This is a grassroots public relations program that more and more Agents are using to forge relationships with schools and show their care and concern for young drivers,” adds Matt.

Agents in action

Agent Kim Mastrantonio of the Nancy Smith Agency serves as the Agent liaison for two schools in northern Pennsylvania: Athens and Sayre High Schools.

Mastrantonio is one of more than 40 Agents who have initiated Lookin’ Out programs.

Last spring, she was the recipient of a Redskin Spotlight Award, an honor given by the Sayre School District Board of Education that recognizes volunteers for their contributions to the Sayre community.

Mastrantonio was presented the award from the Lookin’ Out committee and applauded for her efforts in working with the students.

“The program is a great success and it’s been a wonderful experience,” she says. “I plan to keep working with the kids for many years to come.”

Her involvement is just one example of how Agents are using Lookin’ Out to boost their public relations efforts.

Some are using the program to enhance long-standing relationships with local school districts, while others are seeing Lookin’ Out as an opportunity to introduce themselves to the community.

• Alec Aronow of Aronow Insurance in Olney, Md., is starting his fourth year working with his alma mater, Sherwood High School. Sherwood students are currently planning their third annual Lookin’ Out Idol contest, a popular event that tests students’ knowledge of driving techniques and laws.
• Krista Schlemmer, an Agent with the Leland Smith Agency in Van Wert, Ohio, has implemented the program with three local high schools — Antwerp, Crestview and Van Wert High Schools — and plans to add two additional schools this school year.
• Carl Salinas of Salinas Insurance Agency is the first Agent in Indiana to begin a Lookin’ Out program. The committee at NorthWood High School in Elkhart includes students who have been impacted by auto accidents involving themselves or family members.

‘Teen drivers’ BFF since 2000’

In order to strengthen communication with member schools, Lookin’ Out is using two new online tools popular with younger audiences: podcasts and a MySpace page.

The intent of the podcasts is to update the Lookin’ Out community — students, teachers and Agents participating in the program — about program happenings and issues relating to teen driving.

“The creation of podcasts allows us to provide additional information about teen driving topics in audio format, a popular medium for teens,” says Bresee.

The most recent podcast (transcript) features an interview with the senior vice president of research for the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS), Dr. Anne McCartt.

Another way of reaching the Lookin’ Out audience includes maintaining a MySpace page on the popular social networking site.

The Lookin’ Out MySpace page includes a bi-weekly blog, a list of participating schools, photos and a list of “friends” that have an interest in promoting safe driving.

Visitors to the page are greeted by a photo of a crash test dummy hitting a windshield with the message “Avoid head-on collisions. Buckle up.”

The page also boasts the headline “Teen drivers’ BFF since 2000” touting when the program was established. (Note: for those who are not members of Gen Y, ‘BFF’ translates to ‘best friend forever.’)

“We need to be creative with how we communicate with teens,” says Bresee. “The goal is to keep it loose and have some fun while talking about a very serious issue.”

The program is currently accepting grant applications for the 2007-08 school year.

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