The Georgia Teens Ride with P.R.I.D.E. program was created by the Georgia Traffic Injury Prevention Institute (GTIPI) in an effort to reduce the high number of crashes, injuries and fatalities involving teen drivers in the state of Georgia. This program addresses driver’s attitude, knowledge and behavior, rather than technical hands-on driver skills. It complements driver’s education and training; it is not a replacement for these courses.

The P.R.I.D.E. program offers a free, two-hour course designed to help parents and their future teen drivers on learner’s permits, ages 14-16, learn what they need to do during the 40 hours of supervised practice driving time (20 hours of supervised practice drive time is required, if the teen successfully completes driver’s education). All Classes are held at the Forsyth County Public Safety Building located at 3520 Settingdown Rd. Cumming, GA. The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office is proud to sponsor this excellent program. The Sheriff’s Office currently has 19 instructors ready to instruct this great program.

Curriculum
The P.R.I.D.E. curriculum includes teen driving facts and statistics, crash dynamics, the graduated driver’s licensing (GDL) process, and Georgia’s Teenage and Adult Driver Responsibility Act (TADRA). During the two-hour course parents receive instructions (and a take home guide) on what to do during the supervised driving practice time with their teen drivers, while their teens engage in a roundtable discussion about risky driving behaviors exhibited among teens., At the conclusion of the course, parents and teens enter into an agreement to “Ride with P.R.I.D.E.

Follow Up and Evaluations
Certifications of completion and follow-up evaluations are mailed from GTIPI to all participants. Follow-up surveys and evaluations are conducted 60 days after completion of the course and again at one year and two years following the course.

Goals
Long-term goals for the P.R.I.D.E. program include:

Endorsements/Partners/Sponsors
     GTIPT recently learned that a major insurance company will give a discount on the premium for teenagers who complete the P.R.I.D.E. class. Two local judges in separate counties have indicated that they intend to make the course mandatory for any teen that enters their courtrooms because of a traffic violation that he/she has committed.

Others who expressed strong support for the Georgia Teens Ride with P.R.I.D.E. program include the Prosecuting Attorneys Council, the Nations Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the University of Georgia Athletic Department (UGA Football). This program is supported by a grant from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. For more information call 800-342-9819 or 678-413-4281 or inquire by e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Please visit our web-site at www.ridesafegeorgia.org.