Maria Tiberi Foundation Partners with Virtual Driver Interactive to Provide Driving Simulators & Raise Awareness of Distracted Driving Perils in Ohio
El Dorado Hills, CA.—March 17, 2015 (PRWEB) March 19, 2015 -- Virtual Driver Interactive, Inc. (VDI), the leading provider of simulation training solutions, today announced the expansion of its partnership with the Maria Tiberi Foundation to educate teens throughout Ohio on reducing the preventable injuries associated with distracted driving.
Dom & Terri Tiberi founded the Maria Tiberi Foundation and “Maria’s Message’ in memory of their daughter, Maria, who was killed tragically in an automobile accident colliding at 53 miles per hour into the back of a semi truck. Since Maria had only three years of driving experience, the Tiberi’s are devoted to ensuring no one else has to endure the tragic loss of a loved one due to inexperience or lack of appropriate driver education. To increase defensive driving skills as well as understand the consequences of distracted driving, Mr. Tiberi recommends that simulation become part of standard driver education in the U.S.
The Maria Tiberi Foundation has donated thirteen VDI simulators to date with more to be purchased soon. The simulators have been deployed throughout Ohio to reach as many teens as possible including five simulators to the Ohio Department of Transportation and eight to local police departments.
The Ohio House of Representatives is contemplating an increase in driver education requirements and higher penalties for distracted driving. As a proponent of the “Drive Toward a Safer Ohio” initiative, Mr. Tiberi recently told members of the Ohio House Finance Committee that adding simulated driving tests to license requirements would give our young drivers much more driving experience before they take to the road for real.
"We as parents and grandparents should be outraged that the number one killer of our kids age 8 to 24 is car crashes…it is so preventable. Education is the key and we must change teen driving behaviors and habits. Distracted driving is an epidemic in our country. It is anything that takes your eyes off the road, your hands off the wheel, or your mind off your driving.” said Mr. Tiberi. “I believe the use of simulators is a great educational tool."
About Virtual Driver Interactive
Virtual Driver Interactive (VDI) is well known for its vision of innovative simulation-based training. From training experienced corporate fleets to new teen drivers, VDI delivers highly portable, affordable and effective solutions. Titles include Virtual HD® (Virtual Hazard Detection), designed specifically for corporate fleets; One Simple Decision®, a deterrent to distracted or impaired driving; Virtual DE™ (Virtual Driving Essentials), a driver training and assessment program teaching critical skills; and Boating Skills VT™, industry’s leading simulation-based boating safety program. VDI is a privately-held company headquartered in El Dorado Hills, California. For more information about please visit http://www.driverinteractive.com.
About the Maria Tiberi Foundation
The Maria Tiberi Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) community-supported organization that encourages defensive driving and educates about the dangers of distracted driving. The foundation is named in memory of Maria Tiberi, the daughter of central Ohio TV sports anchor Dom Tiberi, whose life tragically ended after driving distracted. “Maria’s Message” is dedicated to stopping the epidemic of teen deaths caused by distracted driving car crashes. For more information, please visit http://www.mariatiberifoundation.org.
Pam LeFevre, Virtual Driver Interactive, http://www.driverinteractive.com, +1 770-338-7705, [email protected]
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