Top Driver Launches Advanced Driver Training Course

11 August 2000
Top Driver Launches Advanced Driver Training Course New Offering Will Focus on Correcting Behaviors That Lead to Crashes
    ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., Aug. 11 Top Driver, Inc.
(http://www.topdriver.com), the nation's largest driver training and education
company, inaugurates its Car Control Course, an advanced driver training
course, at its Greenwood Park Mall location outside of Indianapolis this week.
This course, designed for newer drivers who have completed an initial driver
training course, will focus on addressing the leading causes of teen crashes
in a proactive and hands-on environment.  Teen drivers are involved in over
3 million crashes each year.  Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of
death amongst teenagers and fatality rates are four times higher for teens
than all other licensed drivers.
    "The harsh reality is that traditional driver education is inadequate and
unfortunately, the statistics support this conclusion.  The driving school
industry has not invested any meaningful capital or resources to improve the
quality of curriculum, training or service to new drivers," said Sebastian
Giordano, President of Top Driver.  "Top Driver is committed to providing the
best training programs available and for any other driving school to reach
this standard of excellence, they will need to develop programs beyond the
minimum requirements for obtaining a license.  By teaching the fundamentals of
vehicle control, we continue to reinforce the concept that experience and
practice never stop paying off -- and good drivers never stop learning."
    The Car Control Course was specially designed by Trish Johnson, a former
race car driver and driving instructor, and is specifically aimed at
overcoming the leading causes of teen crashes:  inexperience, lack of
knowledge, and over-confidence.  The course will concentrate on proper visual
techniques, proper car control techniques, vehicle dynamics, mental
programming, muscle memory, avoiding the co-pilot complex, and most
importantly, positive reinforcement.  Eighty percent of the five-hour course
will be spent behind the wheel, with one-on-one instruction in such areas as
steering, braking, and turning.  The course is initially being offered in Top
Driver's North Greenwood, Indiana location and will gradually become part of
the standard curriculum offerings at the over 220 Top Driver locations.
    "Obtaining a driver's license should be the beginning of a lifetime of
driver training rather than the end," said Trish Johnson, Director of Advanced
Driver Training for Top Driver.  "By stressing good safety habits with newer
drivers, we are putting a more sensible class of driver on the road while
working to minimize crashes and fatalities."
    The initial launch of this course is being co-sponsored by the Simon Youth
Foundation, an organization that provides economic and career development
opportunities for young people through educational initiatives and programs.
A portion of the proceeds generated from the course will benefit the Simon
Youth Foundation.
    Top Driver's other programs include an in-depth evaluation of a trainee's
driving skills by highly trained instructors.  Classroom, audio/visual and
computer-based training are utilized to teach, not only basic vehicle control
skills, but also to condition a driver's knowledge and attitude about driving.
When combined with in-vehicle driving activities, the goal is to deprogram
inappropriate driving practices by initiating new safe driving habits.  Top
Driver's "Safe Driver Strategies" improve a driver's awareness and reinforce
the proper techniques related to vision, communication, assessment, position
and speed when operating a motor vehicle.
    With approximately 220 driver training facilities, Top Driver is the only
driver training company to offer, on a national basis, various driver training
programs, such as novice training, defensive driving, insurance premium
reduction, traffic violator, specialty vehicles and corporate fleet training
as well as an array of driving related products, services and information.
Top Driver is a privately held company with headquarters located in Englewood
Cliffs, New Jersey.  For more information, call 1-888-TOPDRIVER.