Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) hopes its dramatic exhibit will influence behavior
 to stop drunk driving. CHP Public Information Officer, Jaime Rios will talk to teens and parents about the Start Smart Teen Driving Program.  

Monterey, CA (August, 2014) –- The MADD Central Valley Chapter will bring the dramatic "Crash Car" Exhibit to CIG Insurance’s 2^nd Annual CIG Community Safety Saturday™. Parents and teens will have the opportunity to learn about the CHP’s Start Smart program, a driver safety education class which targets new and future licensed teenage drivers between the age of 15 - 19 and their parents/guardians. CIG Community Safety Saturday will take place at Capital Insurance Group, 2300 Garden Road, on Saturday, September 6, 2014, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. 

MADD can see a future without drunk driving

The “MADD Crash Cars” are visual educational tools presented with the intention to change behaviors and attitudes concerning the dangers of drinking and driving and riding with an impaired driver. The “Crash Car” Exhibit also addresses the excessive use of speed and the failure to use seat belts, and explains the roles that each of these factors play in the injury or death of loved ones.    

The MADD booth will feature graphic displays of auto accidents. Volunteers will distribute informational material related to the dangers and prevention of drunk driving. Victoria Flores, MADD Chapter Leader and Victim Advocate, explains, “Over 10,000 people in the United States are killed by drunk drivers every year. On average, someone is killed in a drunk driving crash every 51 minutes. In 2011, 226 children were killed in drunk driving crashes. These tragedies are 100% preventable."  

CHP believes education is a key to teen driving safety

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens in the United States and CIG Insurance is committed to helping to keep teen drivers safe.

Parents and teens will have the opportunity to learn about and sign up for the CHP Start Smart teen driving program at CIG Community Safety Saturday.  Jaime Rios, Public Information Officer, California Highway Patrol remarks, “One of the things that teens need to realize is that a vehicle becomes a deadly weapon when in the hands of someone who is not being responsible.  Both Teens and their parent or guardian attend the class together.  We want them coming out of the class realizing that their actions don’t just affect them --they affect passengers, other drivers, families and friends.”

Kathy and Fred Forgnone lost their daughter, Vanessa, in a car crash in 2002. Since then, they have been volunteering and speaking to teens and parents at classes and at CIG Community Safety Saturday events. Kathy Forgnone remarks, “I think the classes elicit conversation between teens and parents, probably on the way home from the class and at the dinner table with the whole family - there are real ‘heart to heart’ discussions.”

Arne Chatterton, CIG Vice President of Field Operations & Business Relations explains, “We are committed to spreading the message about driver safety classes for teens and making sure there is communication with parents. Programs like the CHP Start Smart Class make quite an impact in every community they touch.”

CIG Community Safety Saturday was developed by a CIG Insurance employee in 2010 and has been held throughout California and Nevada ever since. The event features activities, demonstrations, and educational services designed to improve the safety and security of children, teens, families, and communities. People of all ages will enjoy free games, prizes, and a wealth of materials and information from many different booths staffed by local and regional organizations.

CIG Community Safety Saturday will feature the following attractions:

Special Presentations for:

o   Jaws of Life Demonstration at 11:30 am provided by the Monterey Fire Department

o    Whiskie the Whale Spotter^™, the famous rescue dog from Marine Life Studies, will perform whale tricks at 11:00 am and 1:00 pm

·     California Highway Patrol will coordinate the child car-seat inspection station. They will also bring safety handouts and present information about their CHP Start Smart Driver Education classes available statewide for teens and their parents. Start Smart classes increase traffic-safety knowledge and better prepare teens for the road ahead.  Fred and Kathy Forgnone will be on hand to talk with attendees about the Start Smart program.

·     Monterey Police Department will bring a squad car as well as crime prevention information. 

·     Monterey County Sheriff’s Office–Coastal Station Monterey will bring crime prevention handouts as well as their K-9, SWAT Team, and Search and Rescue vehicles. They will also do “meet and greets” with their K-9 team.

·     Monterey County Crime Prevention Officers Association will provide safety brochures.

·    Monterey Fire Department will bring a 55' ladder fire engine and safety information. They will also conduct a Jaws of Life demonstration showing how they cut open a car when necessary to free a driver trapped inside.

·     American Red Cross–Monterey Bay Area Chapter will give out Family Disaster Plans.  Test your knowledge of Disaster Readiness and win prizes when you spin the “Wheel of Preparedness”.

·     California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CALFIRE) will bring a fire engine and fire safety materials.

·     California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services will provide educational materials about how to prepare for earthquakes and tsunamis.

·    Monterey County Office of Emergency Services will bring emergency preparedness information.

·    U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary will bring water and boating safety materials as well as environmental protection information.

·     Boy Scouts of America–Silicon Valley Monterey Bay Council will provide emergency survival and safety tips.

·     Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast will provide safety information.

·     Young artists from Youth Arts Collective will be on hand to sketch portraits and share information about YAC, the local after school art studio and mentoring program for artists, ages 14-22.

·     Independent Transportation Network of Monterey County will bring information about its organization that offers rides to seniors and the visually impaired in Monterey County, California.

·     United Way Monterey County will have an information booth including handouts about the 2-1-1 program.

·     U.S. Forest Service will bring informational handouts as well as a wildland fire engine. Smokey Bear will also be on hand if he’s not busy fighting a forest fire!

·      Sponsored by First 5 of Monterey County, MY Museum will bring the Wheelie Mobilee, a playground for the mind and so much more.  

·      Restorative Justice Partners will bring information about dispute resolution programs that foster empathy, accountability and restoration of fairness to victims and the community.

·       Family Service Agency of the Central Coast/Suicide Prevention Service of the Central Coast will have a bean-bag toss and tic-tac-toe game and distribute their brochures and STOP cards.

·       KlaasKids Foundation will conduct a Print-A-Thon that provides digital photo IDs & fingerprinting for every child.

·     Community Emergency Response Volunteers (CERV) of the Monterey Peninsula will give out materials about turning off the gas/electricity and water in emergencies and simple medical responses learned in CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) training.

·     Recovers.org will provide information about community resilience and their project in Seaside and Monterey.

·     Central Coast CERT Association will provide emergency preparation information.

·     MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) will bring their “crash car” and provide handouts about the dangers of drinking and driving. 

·       The U.S. Coast Guard will bring their boat and the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary will provide water, boating and environmental protection information. Auxtter the Sea Otter mascot will also be on hand.    

·        Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District will provide information about trail hiking and wildlife safety.

·       YWCA Monterey County will present information about domestic violence and the services it offers at both its Seaside and Salinas locations.

·       YMCA will provide “Healthy Family Home” handouts and youth development information. 

·       Marine Life Studies will share information about protecting whales, dolphins and other marine wildlife and observing them safely in the wild. Whiskie the Whale Spotter™, a rescue dog, will perform her whale tricks and attendees will learn how Whiskie spots whales from Marine Life Studies' research boat in the Monterey Bay National Sanctuary.

·      Monterey County Boys and Girls Club will have a Wheel of Fortune Safety Game and information about their organization. 

·      Community Partnership for Youth will bring face painters and offer a lanyard-making activity.

·       KION/Telemundo is the media sponsor.

·       Radio station 101.7 The Beach will provide music and prize giveaways. 

At the conclusion of CIG Community Safety Saturday, a drawing will be held for exciting, family- oriented prizes, such as an annual family membership to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Family Plus annual memberships to MY Museum, four season passes to the 2015 Monterey County Fair, four passes for whale watching at Randy’s Whale Watching & Fishing, four passes to a performance at the Pacific Repertory Theatre, four passes for kayaking from Adventures By The Sea, a family pass to Elkhorn Slough Safari Nature Tours, and a family pass to the Monterey Zoo.   

For more information about the event, please go to www.CIGsafetysaturday.com or call

(831) 233-5500.

About Capital Insurance Group:

Capital Insurance Group® (CIG) is the leading regional property and casualty insurer serving the Western U.S. since 1898. CIG insures Personal Auto, Homeowners, Farmowners, Condo Owners, Vacation Property, Renters, Apartment Building Owners, and many kinds of Commercial and Agricultural Auto and Property. The more than 115 year-old company is rated “A” (Excellent) by A.M. Best, the independent financial monitor of the insurance industry. CIG manages personal, business, and agriculture risks underwritten by its affiliate companies: California Capital Insurance Company, Eagle West Insurance Company, Nevada Capital Insurance Company, and Monterey Insurance Company. Types of policies may vary from state to state. For more information, please visit www.CIGinsurance.com

CIG DELIVERS MORE. Continuously. ™

About the KlaasKids Foundation

The KlaasKids Foundation was established by Marc Klaas in 1994 to give meaning to the death of his twelve-year-old daughter, kidnap and murder victim Polly Hannah Klaas, and to create a legacy in her name that would be protective of children for generations to come. The foundation’s mission is to stop crimes against children by providing education and knowledge to the general public and promoting partnerships with concerned citizens, the private sector, organizations, law enforcement and legislators. www.klaaskids.org