UC Irvine emergency physician and researcher tackles teen driving risks at Ford safety event

EVENT: Car crashes remain the leading cause of death for U.S. teens, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, especially in their first years on the road. As students return to school this fall, UC Irvine emergency physician Dr. Federico Vaca is teaming up with Ford Philanthropy, Santa Ana’s GREEN-MPNA organization and the Governors Highway Safety Association to help change that.

At the free Ford Driving Skills for Life event Aug. 16 and 17 at Angel Stadium of Anaheim, Vaca, director of the School of Medicine’s Brain, Body & Behavior Driving Simulation Lab and a national expert in traffic safety and injury prevention science, will be available for interviews. The two-day event offers teens hands-on training in crash avoidance, hazard recognition and distracted driving. This program was funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

WHEN/WHERE: Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 16 and 17, in the Angel Stadium of Anaheim parking lot, with teen driving sessions at 8 a.m., 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.

INFORMATION: Live broadcast and interview opportunities are available throughout both days. To attend or schedule interviews, media should contact Carly Murphy at 949-501-1008 or murphyco@uci.edu.

HIGHLIGHTS:
B-roll can be found here of Vaca and the B³ DrivSim Lab at UC Irvine

Visuals: Teens driving Ford Mustangs through crash avoidance and distracted driving drills and high-energy, hands-on scenes with instructors and UC Irvine experts.

Available for on-site interviews:

• Dr. Federico Vaca, professor of emergency medicine and UCI Health emergency physician, is an expert in injury prevention and teen driving safety who can discuss teen driver risk factors, crash disparities and the role of simulation in training.
• Karen Sarabia, project manager at the B³ DrivSim Lab, is available for Spanish-language interviews.

BACKGROUND: Teen drivers face some of the highest crash and fatality rates of any age group. This event blends science, simulation and real-world practice to help shift that trajectory, providing a rare glimpse of evidence-based prevention strategies in action. It’s also a chance for media to see firsthand how researchers like Vaca are using behavioral science and simulation to reimagine driver education.

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