Ameren Illinois is teaming the Distress Bandanna Teen Driver Safety Initiative to draw attention to the dangers of downed power lines. More than 3,000 vehicles strike power poles each year according to the Illinois Department of Transportation, which creates a dangerous scenario as power lines can cause the vehicle and surrounding area to become energized.

Vivian Anderson, Founder of Distress Bandana says this is important information to share with young drivers, as statistics show half of all teens will be involved in a car crash before graduating from high school.

Ameren Illinois and the Illinois High School and College Driver Education Association launched a downed power line and vehicle safety module last Fall into Driver Education classes across the state. The module at AmerenIllinois.com/DriverEd contains an instructional video and quiz. You can also find the video at DistressBandanna.com under Teen Driver Safety Program.