Tucson teenagers are getting a jump on defensive driving by participating in the START program. START, which stands for "Safe Teen Accident Reduction Training" is sponsored by GEICO Insurance and designed by the Tucson Police department.

The START program teaches teenagers five different techniques to help them avoid accidents, including evasive steering, controlled braking, skid and off-road recovery methods, and familiarization with anti-lock brakes.

The program was created by Sgt. Steve Culbertson, who believes that providing these accident avoidance skills to young drivers in his region is one step toward the prevention of teen deaths, as well as a major move against the likelihood of teen injuries caused by car accidents. Of the sponsorship from GEICO, he says, "This is a community wide problem that police departments cannot tackle alone. GEICO is again demonstrating its commitment to the community by sponsoring teens for the upcoming classes."

Martha Furnas, assistant vice president the GEICO office in Tucson, added, "Auto accidents are the number one killer of teen drivers age 16 to 20 and we recognize and appreciate the opportunity to be active in the community educating young drivers on the importance of safe driving habits."

START classes are five hours long, which includes an hour of classroom instruction and four hours behind the wheel. They are taught by the safe-driving instructors who teach local law enforcement officers, and are open to licensed teen drivers, at no cost.