Advancing Driver Safety

Douglas R. Horn founded The Horn Law Firm, P.C. in 1990. Since then, his law practice has increasingly concentrated on motor vehicle accident law and crash litigation. During the course of his legal career, which includes investigating and presenting evidence in over 2500 motor vehicle accidents,  Horn has gained an elevated insight into the driving behaviors that cause vehicular collisions. As a dedicated Kansas City car crash lawyer, Horn knows just how to help victims of an accident.

Beginning in 2009, Horn has used his legal experience to devote a significant amount of his work and resources to the advancement of driver safety, particularly in the areas of teen driver protection, distracted driving prevention, and traffic fatality reduction.

To support his driver safety work, Horn developed Drive By Example, a traffic safety communications platform that allows transportation officials, schools, corporations, and other traffic safety stakeholders to reduce the types of collisions that cause serious injury or roadway fatalities in the communities or organizations where implemented.

The primary objective of Drive By Example is to influence drivers to adopt the safe driving habits and behaviors that protect themselves, their passengers, and others on the roadway. The core message is that drivers always drive alert, buckled, cautious, and defensive

Drive By Example has proven to be an effective tool in meeting traffic safety objectives because it:

  • is built of a clear, concise, and memorable message that is applicable to all drivers
  • addresses all top driving safety priorities, including distracted driving prevention, teen driver protection, and traffic fatality reduction
  • is designed to be a sustained driver safety campaign that keeps driver safety high on the public consciousness
  • utilizes a positive framing approach that influences drivers to consistently exercise the highest degree of care while operating a motor vehicle

Teen Driver Protection

With the elimination of mandatory driver’s education for new drivers in Missouri, the burden for teaching teenagers to drive safely falls directly on the parents. In order to better equip parents, Horn is providing resources to aid parents in maximizing protection for their teen drivers.

In addition to 10 Important Tips For Parents of Teen Drivers and the Teen Driver Agreement (which are available here), Horn is publishing a Teen Driver Protection e-book. This booklet, which will be available in early 2020, will provide parents valuable information, allowing parents to provide the best possible protection for their teen drivers.

Additionally, in an effort to keep teen driver protection high on the public consciousness, Horn regularly posts teen driver protection tips/alerts on social media and gives driver safety presentations to schools, booster clubs, community groups, and other civic-minded organizations.

Distracted Driving Prevention

While 48 states have outlawed texting while driving for all drivers, Missouri is one of only two states that does not ban texting and driving for adult drivers. In fact, Missouri drivers, who are over 22 years and older, can use their cell phones to text, email, browse the internet, watch videos, post to social media, etc. while driving.

To help curb distracted driving, Horn has been actively engaged in promoting a “hands-free law” for Missouri. While a new law outlawing the manipulation of a cell phone or other portable electronics will be a good first step, Horn also believes a comprehensive distracted driving prevention communications program will be vital in reversing distracted driving recent trends.

In this regard, Horn has developed a model program to combat distracted driving. In its full form, the Drive By Example Distracted Driving Prevention program is a state-wide, multi-media campaign that not only educates the public to the substantial risks of harm of using a cell phone while driving but also “villainizes” distracted driving, making it socially unacceptable conduct.

Corporate Protection

Horn, drawing on his legal experience in handling hundreds of motor vehicle accidents caused by drivers in their scope of employment, has developed a “Corporate Protection” program to help advance driver safety within business firms and corporations.

While many businesses have safe driving policies in place, few businesses actually have programs that encourage safe driving as part of the employment expectation. In re-enforcing the employer’s existing policies, the Drive By Example Corporate Protection Program is designed to influence employees to exercise the highest degree of care when operating a motor vehicle.

Horn’s program is easy and inexpensive to implement and can be administered as part of a corporate wellness program. Some of the top benefits are listed below.

  • Protects employees by reducing the risk of a motor-vehicle related injury or death
  • Contributes to employee quality of life, well-being, and advancement
  • Increases business productivity
  • Limits corporate accident liabilities

For more information about how your business firm can take advantage of the Drive By Example Corporate Protection program, contact Douglas R. Horn at dhorn@hornlaw.wpengine.com.

Learn about the new Missouri Motorcycle Helmet Laws here.

Media Appearances

Over the years Horn has been a frequent contributor to media outlets, including TV, radio, print, and online. He is available to assist media doing stories on any aspect of driver safety, including the following areas:

Teen Driver Safety/Protection
Distracted Driving Accidents/Prevention
Traffic Fatality Reduction
Impaired Driving Accidents/Prevention
Motorcycle Safety/Accidents
Missouri Driver Safety Laws/Legislation

Resource Downloads

The Defense Driving Skills Checklist

Teen Driving Agreement