Saturday event promotes teen driver safety

An event designed to help keep teenage drivers safe will take place Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Sherman Green, corner of Post and Reef roads. The program is a collaborative effort between Fairfield police and State Farm Insurance.

Part of a nationwide safe-driving project called, "Celebrate My Drive," will feature several simulators -- replicating distracted driving, crashes and vehicle rollovers -- to help participants experience what those situations might be like. State Farm is hosting more than 300 similar events simultaneously across the country and in Canada to promote safety on the road for teens.

According to the federal Centers for Disease Control, motor vehicle accidents are the top killer of American teenagers, and their first year on the road as a new driver is rated the most dangerous.

The Fairfield Police Explorers will also receive a $5,000 grant from State Farm to aid their work on teen driver education.

The event is free and open to the community.