Army Selects American Institute for Public Safety to Save Lives in Safe Driving Campaign

by Chris Huffman . past President of the American Institute for Public Safety.

Soldier Fatalities in Privately Owned Vehicles is 10 Times Higher
Than Loss From All Other Accidents Combined

NORTH MIAMI, Fla. – The U.S. Army has selected the American Institute for Public Safety’s innovative interactive programs to help limit loss of life from automotive crashes involving soldiers and their families while operating Privately Owned Vehicles.

The American Institute for Public Safety (AIPS), based in North Miami, Fla., signed a contract in mid-June with the Army’s Forces Command, headquartered at Fort McPherson, Ga.

“The Army is making a step change to save lives,” said Chris O. Huffman, past president of AIPS. “The leading cause of death for soldiers is not in combat with the enemy. It’s when they drive in their privately owned vehicle.”

The Army’s safe driving campaign will operate under the “Combat Aggressive Driving” brand name. The campaign that will be built on use of AIPS’ aggressive driver course, called “RoadRageous^TM.”

RoadRageous^TM is the nation’s first comprehensive course on aggressive driving. Presented in eight one-hour segments, the course was developed by AIPS in conjunction with three leading experts on aggressive driving, Dr. Leon James and Dr. Diane Nahl, both of the University of Hawaii, and Dr. Arnold Nerenberg, a Ph.D. psychologist in Southern California known as “America’s road rage therapist”.

James and Nerenberg have testified before Congress on aggressive driving and road rage, now ranked by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as the  leading concern among drivers today. In addition, Nerenberg has taught numerous seminars for the California Office of Traffic Safety and has appeared on major television network newscasts as the recognized expert on aggressive driving and road rage.

The Army campaign will be launched at Fort Bragg, N.C.; Fort Campbell, Ky.; Fort Carson, Colo.; Fort Hood, Texas; Fort Lewis, Wash.; Fort Polk, La., and Fort Stewart, Ga. All three versions of the course will be utilized for Military Police and local law enforcement, general adult education and education for teens.

Huffman said the “Combat Aggressive Driving” program is more than just educational courses. AIPS will coordinate instructor training, public awareness campaigns, and outreach to communities and state and local governments to insure that principles of non-harmful driving are communicated to soldiers, families, and civilians at key Army posts where the “Combat Aggressive Driving” program will be used.

“After extensive research, the Army selected AIPS because we’re more than a course provider,” Huffman said. “The Army program we designed is an all-embracing campaign that features education, public awareness, community integration with state and local initiatives and even websites to deal with an overall approach to traffic safety. This approach will also include defensive driving, driving under the influence, seat belt usage, child safety seats, distracted driving, cell phone safety and other related auto safety topics.

“This builds on AIPS’ success delivering leading-edge driver safety programs across the nation. Our programs feature new and innovative ways to teach responsible driving to motorists with a proactive approach to behavior modification,” Huffman said.

The company’s mission is to save lives and taxpayer dollars through delivery of innovative traffic safety programs.