IPI Publishes How to Park: The Must-Read Manual for Teen Drivers in collaboration with AAA Mid Atlantic and the Mid-Atlantic Foundation for Safety and Education

What accounts for 70 percent of vehicular crashes and 14 percent of all auto damage insurance claims? The answer is incidents related to parking, and as these and other startling statistics might suggest, it's a topic that deserves greater attention particularly in the training of new drivers.

That situation is about to change with the newly published teen parking manual, How to Park: The Must-Read Manual for Teen Drivers, created by the International Parking Institute (IPI) as part of its Parking Matters® program, in collaboration with AAA Mid-Atlantic and the Mid-Atlantic Foundation for Safety and Education.The organizations hope the free, downloadable booklet becomes required reading in high school and other teen driving programs, and shared by parents with new drivers.

With an eye-catching design inspired by a high school spiral notebook complete with doodles, How to Park advises new drivers on ways to avoid tickets and crashes and explains how to negotiate all kinds of parking scenarios, included much-feared parallel maneuvers, with step-by-step instructions and clear diagrams.

The colorful, 12-page manual also enlightens teens about parking issues few drivers ever consider, such as the environmental effect of cruising around looking for a parking space, why "free" parking is not really free, and the havoc that would ensue without parking enforcement.

"Parking can sometimes be intimidating even for experienced drivers," said Shawn Conrad, CAE, executive director of IPI. "We wanted to be proactive in equipping teens with basic parking know-how and etiquette. Our goal is to significantly reduce the number of costly and dangerous parking-related incidents and abuses, making our communities safer for everyone."

According to Conrad, IPI will continue its collaboration with AAA Mid-Atlantic and the Mid-Atlantic Foundation for Safety and Foundation to distribute How to Park through their distribution channels and traditional driver education programs, along with a consumer education campaign.

IPI members are encouraged to download and share How to Park: The Must-Read Manual for Teen Drivers at www.parking.org/teenparking. IPI allied state and regional parking associations, as well as member companies, may also arrange to purchase copies imprinted with their logos by contacting Henry Wallmeyer at wallmeyer@parking.org.

About the organizations

International Parking Institute is the world's largest and leading association of parking professional and the parking industry. www.parking.org

AAA Mid-Atlantic serves nearly four million members in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and the District of Columbia, with personal insurance, financial, automotive and travel services. www.AAA.com

The Mid-Atlantic Foundation for Safety and Education, affiliated with AAA Mid-Atlantic, is dedicated to educating, training and raising the level of traffic and travel safety awareness for all.