Arbella Insurance Foundation is relaunching its anti-distracted driving program, Distractology, updating training scenarios and committing to an additional five years.

Introduced in 2010, the Distractology campaign features a 36-foot-long, mobile classroom outfitted with high-tech driving simulators. The classroom travels to high schools across New England and leads students though a variety of true-to-life distracted driving scenarios, teaching them to anticipate hidden hazards, react to the road and avoid accidents. For the relaunch, the distraction scenarios have been updated to include smartphones, streaming music and food, in both residential and highway conditions.

Arbella said that, to date, more than 11,000 teenagers have completed the Distractology training, noting that drivers who complete the program are proven to be 19 percent less likely to have an accident and 25 percent less likely to get traffic violations.

Distractology will travel to various communities in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island during 2016, offering 45 minutes of simulated driving to each participant. The program is funded by the Arbella Insurance Foundation, making the training free for students.

Arbella Insurance Foundation was founded by regional New England P/C insurer Arbella Insurance Group in 2004.

Source: Arbella Insurance Foundation