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MARIA TIBERI FOUNDATION PARTNERS WITH VIRTUAL DRIVER INTERACTIVE TO PROVIDE DRIVING SIMULATORS & RAISE AWARENESS OF DISTRACTED DRIVING PERILS IN OHIO
PARENTS CREATE FOUNDATION HONORING DAUGHTER’S MEMORY AND VOWING TO EDUCATE OHIO TEENS ON RISKS OF DISTRACTED DRIVING.
El Dorado Hills, CA.—March 17, 2015 (PRWEB) March 19, 2015 -- Virtual Driver Interactive, Inc. (VDI), the leading provider of simulation training solutions, today announced the expansion of its partnership with the Maria Tiberi Foundation to educate teens throughout Ohio on reducing the preventable injuries associated with distracted driving.
Dom & Terri Tiberi founded the Maria Tiberi Foundation and “Maria’s Message’ in memory of their daughter, Maria, who was killed tragically in an automobile accident colliding at 53 miles per hour into the back of a semi truck. Since Maria had only three years of driving experience, the Tiberi’s are devoted to ensuring no one else has to endure the tragic loss of a loved one due to inexperience or lack of appropriate driver education. To increase defensive driving skills as well as understand the consequences of distracted driving, Mr. Tiberi recommends that simulation become part of standard driver education in the U.S.
The Maria Tiberi Foundation has donated thirteen VDI simulators to date with more to be purchased soon. The simulators have been deployed throughout Ohio to reach as many teens as possible including five simulators to the Ohio Department of Transportation and eight to local police departments.
The Ohio House of Representatives is contemplating an increase in driver education requirements and higher penalties for distracted driving. As a proponent of the “Drive Toward a Safer Ohio” initiative, Mr. Tiberi recently told members of the Ohio House Finance Committee that adding simulated driving tests to license requirements would give our young drivers much more driving experience before they take to the road for real.
"We as parents and grandparents should be outraged that the number one killer of our kids age 8 to 24 is car crashes…it is so preventable. Education is the key and we must change teen driving behaviors and habits. Distracted driving is an epidemic in our country. It is anything that takes your eyes off the road, your hands off the wheel, or your mind off your driving.” said Mr. Tiberi. “I believe the use of simulators is a great educational tool."
About Virtual Driver Interactive
Virtual Driver Interactive (VDI) is well known for its vision of innovative simulation-based training. From training experienced corporate fleets to new teen drivers, VDI delivers highly portable, affordable and effective solutions. Titles include Virtual HD® (Virtual Hazard Detection), designed specifically for corporate fleets; One Simple Decision®, a deterrent to distracted or impaired driving; Virtual DE™ (Virtual Driving Essentials), a driver training and assessment program teaching critical skills; and Boating Skills VT™, industry’s leading simulation-based boating safety program. VDI is a privately-held company headquartered in El Dorado Hills, California. For more information about please visit http://www.driverinteractive.com.
About the Maria Tiberi Foundation
The Maria Tiberi Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) community-supported organization that encourages defensive driving and educates about the dangers of distracted driving. The foundation is named in memory of Maria Tiberi, the daughter of central Ohio TV sports anchor Dom Tiberi, whose life tragically ended after driving distracted. “Maria’s Message” is dedicated to stopping the epidemic of teen deaths caused by distracted driving car crashes.
Maria Elizabeth Tiberi
Maria was loved by many ...... she is truly missed but her legacy will continue through the good works of this Foundation.
About the Maria Tiberi Foundation
Maria was a senior at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio and was a Graphics Design Major. During High School she worked on The Perspective, the school magazine, at Dublin Coffman High School. Each year the Foundation provides a $1,000 scholarship to a Dublin Coffman student following in Maria's footsteps ... a fellow Perspective collaborator who intends to continue higher education in the Media and Graphic Arts fields.
The Foundation has launched a campaign to bring Distraction-Free Driving to the forefront. Maria had only three short years of driving experience and the Foundation would like to encourage better driver training. Maria was killed in an auto accident on September 17, 2013. She was wearing a seat belt, driving the speed limit, and her phone was locked and in her purse on the floor of the back seat, but something distracted her. We don't know what the distraction was, but we are hoping that through our efforts we can help to raise awareness of all types of driving distractions and prevent as many distraction related accidents as possible.
Over 90% of the money we raise is allocated specifically to purchasing driving simulators and placing them with Police Departments and School Districts who will utilize them in their distracted driving outreach programs. On the Home Page of this Web Site you will find the detail as to which organizations have already received simulators from the Foundation.
St. Brigid of Kildare Church in Dublin, Ohio has established a scholarship in Maria's honor. The Foundation will continue to support the Maria Tiberi Scholarship so that students may be able to attend the church elementary school with financial assistance.