“Current State Farm driving data and claims experience show a considerable decline in miles driven and fewer accidents,” said VPA Kenneth Whitehair. “As a result, we’re looking for ways to continue supporting our Nevada customers while we monitor and adjust to trends.”

Rate changes in Nevada are subject to regulatory approval. Customer rate reductions will vary based on their individual renewals. Customers are encouraged to visit with their State Farm agent about individual policies, coverage and any opportunities for discounts, including Drive Safe & Save.

State Farm sponsored assist patrols in 18 states help keep the nation’s highest-trafficked roadways safe and clear. They reduce congestion, help stranded motorists, and provide traffic control and safety at incident scenes.

Safety patrols are operated by state departments of transportation and toll road authorities. They are known by a variety of names in 40 states. Their free services include changing flat tires, providing a jump-start or small amount of gasoline, and minor safety repairs.

“The safety patrols embody our ‘good neighbor’ philosophy and underscore our commitment to auto safety,” said Ed Gold, advertising director. “They help people recover from the unexpected, which is the heart of the State Farm mission.”

State Farm sponsorship helps increase coverage areas and raises awareness about the patrols. This helps the motoring public feel more secure when traveling the nation’s interstate system. Sponsored highway signs mark coverage areas. The bright red State Farm reflective markings also improve patrol vehicle visibility.

State Farm sponsors the safety patrols in Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

State Farm has been committed to roadway safety since its founding in 1922. The company seeks to increase the safety of all drivers and passengers from infancy to the driver’s seat.

*Safety Service Patrol Priorities and Best Practices: USDOT Federal Highway Federal Highway Administration, April 2017

These commands are spoken calmly, but confidently by trained driving instructors. Each year their words are heard by thousands of teens learning how to handle driving obstacles like skidding on wet pavement, navigating tight spaces, or tackling speed bumps.

It’s all part of a hands-on learning experience called Driver’s Edge. Founded in 2002, the program based in Las Vegas, Nevada, has touched the lives of more than 100,000 students. Many agree, Driver’s Edge helped prepare them for the road ahead…literally.

This free program is well-known throughout the state and surrounding areas for two reasons: the behind-the-wheel excitement and the celebrity behind the driving program.

Meet Jeff Payne:

Payne is the founder and CEO of Driver’s Edge. With more than 20 years of experience in the motorsports world, he quickly learned it takes strategy and experience to master the road. “These are skills I wanted to share with future drivers,” he explained. “My decision to teach stemmed from a growing number of teen driving crashes, and too many white crosses dotting Nevada highways.”

“Driver's Edge was a passion born out of frustration. I set out to prove that kids aren’t reckless, they just don’t know what they don’t know,” Payne explained.

Since 2002, Payne and his Driver’s Edge team, many of whom are pro-racers, performance driving instructors, and law enforcement officers - spend several weekends a year guiding students through real-life driving situations at local speedways.

Payne begins each session sharing the Driver’s Edge mission: To teach teens and their parents the responsibilities and potential dangers of operating automobiles.

“I speak openly and honestly – and don’t sugarcoat statistics,” he explained. “The fact is, too many young people die in car crashes each year. We have to do better. And that’s why we’re here.”

Back in class, the mood lightens when Payne introduces his team of instructors. Their names, (Barker, Andretti, Germone and Luyendyk) create a buzz among those familiar with NASCAR, Formula 1 and IndyCar as they step in front of the room. “Every pro-racer involved gets involved for the same reason – to save lives,” said Payne.

Student excitement builds as the instructors discuss the next step: getting behind the wheel. This experience takes place on the speedway – mirroring real life situations including changing lanes, panic brake control, skid control and ABS braking exercises.

As students take turns in the driver’s seat, tires can be heard screeching on the track as another group of teens weave through orange cones. Parents watch from the sidelines, some with hands cupped over their mouths, some nervously joking, “We never did anything like that when we were learning to drive!”

Alejandro Ponce attended the session with his mother Donna. “In my Driver’s Ed class back home, I didn’t feel like I had enough time behind the wheel with my instructor,” he said. “That’s why I appreciate this program so much.”

Alejandro’s mother says her two older daughters also went through Driver’s Edge. “I know some students are here because they’ve had a ticket or been involved in a crash. I would put every kid through this program no matter the circumstances,” said Ponce. “Parents can’t teach this kind of defensive driving. It’s invaluable and it’s free.”

16-year-old Peyton Jacoby is a Driver’s Edge program graduate. She echoes the thoughts of her peers. “This helped me become a safer driver. Not long after I got my license, I was driving on the highway in the rain. It was slick and I went into a skid – but I handled it. That day, I thought about what I learned in Driver’s Edge. I know it made the difference,” said Jacoby. Her dad Dave, believes the program should be a requirement in Nevada. “My oldest daughter went through it years ago, and now Peyton. Parents and online driver education courses can only teach so much, but Driver’s Edge takes kids beyond what we can teach behind the wheel.”

As for the program founder – Payne says this kind of learning allows students to experience a real-life situation in a safe environment. “Decisions behind the wheel should result in good outcomes versus bad ones. We can help enforce that.”

Payne credits the success of the program to the Driver’s Edge team and their commitment to saving lives. “It warms our hearts to receive hundreds of messages from parents and students each year thanking us for their Driver’s Edge experiences. We also love hearing stories like Peyton’s. Every message I get is like the first one I’ve ever received.”

Although the mechanics of cars continue to evolve and change, the Driver’s Edge focus, mission and goals remain the same.“We wouldn’t be where we are today if we didn’t connect with these students,” said Payne. “We treat them as people, not kids, and keep their attention by talking to them directly and honestly. All young drivers need this kind of education – it’s creating smart, confident adults – and saving lives.”

State Farm is a proud supporter of the Driver’s Edge program and its commitment to safe driving. To learn more about the program or ways to get involved, click here.

Insurance provided by TNCs may be limited in scope and coverage. Personal auto policies generally do not extend coverage to the use of personal cars as taxis or livery vehicles, including their use in TNC services.

To adapt to changing customer needs, beginning June 26, 2017, State Farm will offer a Transportation Network Company Driver Coverage endorsement in five additional states, Arkansas, Maryland, Nevada, Vermont and Wyoming.

The endorsement will be available starting June 26, 2017.

Earlier this year Arizona, Florida, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington, D.C. received the coverage endorsement, and twenty-three jurisdictions obtained the endorsement in 2016: Alabama, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

"Adapting and innovating to our customers' changing needs is critical," said Vicki Harper, State Farm Public Affairs Specialist. "This new product is an example of our commitment to our customers and provides them coverage, and peace of mind, when they use their personal cars to provide TNC services."

TNCs may provide high liability coverage limits while a paying passenger occupies the driver's vehicle or when the driver has been connected with a passenger and is on the way to pick that person up. But TNCs tend to provide a much lower limit of liability coverage when drivers are just available for hire and may not provide the drivers with any medical payments, comprehensive, or collision coverages at all. The TNCs may not be providing coverage for injuries to the driver or coverage for any damage to the driver's personal car.

This new, optional State Farm TNC Driver Coverage endorsement is cost-effective and provides an opportunity for our customers to obtain coverage that will fill the gaps between their base auto policy and the coverage provided by a TNC.

Customers in these states who drive for a TNC should contact their local State Farm agent to learn more about the new State Farm TNC Driver Coverage endorsement.

(Individual State Graphics Available for Download Below)

“The Parent's Supervised Driving Program marks another milestone in Nevada's efforts to keep teen drivers safe,” said DMV Director Terri Albertson. “It's a great way for teens to learn the driving skills they need and a valuable refresher for the parents.”

The program features a 52-page printed guide that focuses on the role of the parent in the teen driver education process and encourages parents and teens to drive together in a variety of weather conditions, unfamiliar settings, city and heavy traffic routes, and also various times of day.

A copy will be given to every driver age 16 or 17 when they pass the DMV written test to obtain an instruction permit.

A fun, and useful supplement to the printed guide is the RoadReady mobile app. It easily and accurately tracks the required 50 hours of behind-the-wheel driving experience. The downloadable RoadReady log is accepted by the DMV as proof of the required training.

Last year, more than 11,000 Nevada teens sought instruction permits, and the department wanted to provide parents with a resource geared toward skill development and expanding the conditions and time that teens drive with their parents prior to driving independently.

“Getting a driver’s license is a special moment in a teen’s life, but it often causes increased anxiety for parents,” said Ed Gold, State Farm Advertising Director. “Research tells us the single most important thing parents can do to help their teens stay safe on the road is to provide as much supervised practice behind the wheel as possible. We hope this new resource will help parents and teens make the most of this time together.”

According to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and a State Farm study, Driving Through the Eyes of Teens, teen drivers whose parents are highly involved in the teen driver education process were:

• half as likely to get in a car crash,
• 71 percent less likely to drive intoxicated,
• 30 percent less likely to use a cell phone while driving,
• and twice as likely to wear seatbelts.

The curriculum is developed by Safe Roads Alliance, along with safety experts, and the guidebooks are published by J.F. Griffin Publishing.

“Parents are the key to assuring the safety of teen drivers" said Emily Stein, president of Safe Roads Alliance. "The more involved the parents are at this important phase when a teen is learning to drive, the more likely it will be that these teens will not be involved in a collision once they are driving on their own.”

The free program guide is available at DMV offices around the state and the Nevada DMV website at dmvnv.com/teens. The RoadReady mobile app is available for iPhones at the App Store.