A time of year associated with celebrations like graduation and prom also brings grim statistics for teen drivers. With all the excitement come elevated risks attributed to reckless, distracted, or impaired driving.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the leading cause of death among people aged 15 to 20 is traffic accidents. On a mile-for-mile analysis, teen drivers are victims of three times more fatal crashes each year than other age groups, killing nearly 5,000 kids a year, according to the latest statistics.

Ford wants to change that.

During April, Ford Driving Skills for Life will help more than 1,000 teens learn advanced safe-driving skills from some of the top professional driving instructors in the country. Ford DSFL will also award $100,000 in grants to Governor’s Highway Safety Association members to conduct their own programs using the award-winning Ford DSFL model.

Ford Driving Skills for Life educates teens, parents and communities on ways to keep young drivers safe. With advice on discussing limiting the number of passengers, night driving limitations, and phone usage while driving, Ford helps parents counsel teens to safely use driving privileges.

Through real and simulated driving, drivers develop advanced skills in four areas that factor into more than 60 percent of vehicle crashes. Hazard Recognition helps them anticipate and avoid dangerous situations. Vehicle Handling covers acceleration, deceleration, braking, and turns in varying situations and circumstances.  Speed Management and Space Management discuss maintaining safe speeds, safe distances, recovering from skids, and avoiding contact.

Ford technology has developed improved ways to make every vehicle safe, with features like inflatable rear safety belts, Active Park Assist, Blind Spot Information Systems, Adaptive Cruise Control, and many others. Despite increasing the available safety features on all new Ford models, Ford knows there is no better safety feature than a safe driver behind the wheel.