Testimonials
The winter of 1994 was one of the worst the northeast region has experienced in years. The east coast received in excess of 23 snow storms which exacerbated road conditions in the area. Despite the severe weather, the number of claims received during that year was 25% less than the average for the years prior to defensive driving. There is little doubt that programs of this nature significantly improve the driver’s ability to deal with adverse road conditions. . . Therefore, I strongly support the continuation of this program.
The Village of Lindenhurst is now in its fourth year of offering the New York Safety Program to all of its employees and family members. . . The program which is taught by myself and three fire department members, who were instructed and certified by you and the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles is working very well. Our program has been an outstanding success. We truly believe that the most effective means of improving future driving performance is behavior modification through classroom instruction. The feedback has been positive and encouraging.
I have taken the liberty of writing to you on behalf of the Brooklyn Union Gas Company to express our gratitude for allowing us the opportunity to endorse the New York Safety Program.
The need for safety training techniques is essential for our employees, especially when our drivers need to use all available skills to quickly adapt to adverse weather conditions.
In comparison to a previous program we upheld, the New York Safety Program has had quite a remarkable impact on reducing vehicle accidents within our firm. In just one year, 1996, we have decreased vehicle accidents by 8%. For the First Quarter of Fiscal Year 1997, total vehicle accidents have decreased by 16%. This notable improvement is what motivates us to be persistent in our efforts to reach all employees and reduce loss control.
Our goal is to achieve superior safety standards and to help one recognize the importance of their personal commitment to achieving this. We recommend the New York Safety Program for the contributions made which authenticate our lowered statistics.
Western Suffolk BOCES has recently joined the New York Safety Program as a provider of the Point and Insurance Reduction course . . . Western Suffolk BOCES strongly supports this program. Statistics show that course participation does, in fact, reflect changes in an individual’s driving behavior, and has reduced the number of deaths and reportable accidents on highways.
The six months have passed and we have solicited feedback from members who have either taken part in the program or have become instructors. The feedback we have received has consistently been positive. Several of our members have completed similar programs. They have reported that not only is the NYSP program more enjoyable, but also because of the opportunity to interact with others in the class, it is more likely to have an impact on their future driving behaviors.
I know you worked hard to persuade us to pursue and develop this relationship. If early on I appeared to be a bit skeptical about becoming involved with the NYSP please accept my apology. As I listened to your presentation to our Board of Directors, I kept waiting to hear “the catch”. It isn’t often that someone proposes a program without expecting something in return. Please know that your efforts haven’t been unnoticed. I can honestly say that this has truly worked out to be a win-win situation. I only wish I knew of more opportunities of this nature.
I wanted you to know that all the participants (seventy-one) in the first two classes have agreed that this program is an important public service – not only for individual insurance policy cost reduction ($21,300.00 plus estimated total savings for the first two groups), but also as a part of accident and injury prevention which is a benefit for the entire community. The participants indicated they would recommend this course to others…My personal observation is that the New York Safety Program Course is outstanding in the field of defensive driving and I recommend it for every motor vehicle operator.
Although one will never know the specific number of accidents reduced as a result of this program, I am certain that there has been a significant reduction. Along with this is a direct reduction of cost associated with vehicle repair and maintenance. The City of Auburn expects to be able to negotiate a lower insurance premium in the future based on the fact that we have a 90% compliance of defensive drivers on our City workforce.
Through the efforts of the New York Safety Program’s staff, scheduling the nearly five thousand (5,000) County employees through our instructors has been quite easy and they should be commended. They are always available to answer an instructor’s questions which can arise from time to time.