MADD “Crash Car” and CHP Start Smart Program Come to CIG Insurance 2nd Community Safety Saturday

MONTEREY, Calif. - Aug. 6, 2014 - PRLog -- Learn how to keep your children, teens and family safe at this FREE family event! Free child car seat safety inspections; Free fingerprinting, digital photo, DNA packet and child safety information provided by the Klaas Kids Foundation; Free safety materials and demonstrations; Fire engines; Jaws of Life; MADD crash car; CHP Start Smart teen driving program info; Whiskie the Whale Spotter™; Live radio remote 101.7 The Beach; Free games, prizes and fun for the whole family! 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 Central Valley Chapter will bring the dramatic "Crash Car" Exhibit to CIG Insurance’s 2^nd Annual CIG Community Safety Saturday™.

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."

The CHP believes the Start Smart educational program is a key to teen driver 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:

*Jaws of Life Demonstration at 11:30 am provided by the Monterey Fire Department
*Whiskie the Whale Spotter^™, the famous rescue dog from Marine Life Studies, will perform whale tricks at 11:00 am and 1:00 pm

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 (http://www.cigsafetysaturday.com/turlock) or call (831) 233-5500.