AACA Museum helping teens drive safely

Hershey, Pa. - Research says 16- and 17-year-old drivers are nine times more likely than adults to be involved in an automobile crash – and six times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash. To combat those sobering statistics, The AACA Museum, Inc., near Hershey, Pa., will host a driver safety program featuring professional former race car driver Loren Elmer at 1:00 PM Saturday, Oct. 12.

Elmer, the author of Stay Alive While Driving: The Secrets of a Race Car Driver, will share tips and techniques drivers of all ages need to avoid car accidents and stay safe on the road. He will discuss teen driving, why teens are distracted drivers, and what parents can do about it. Additionally, he will talk about unintended acceleration and what drivers can do if it happens to them.

At the end of the program, Elmer will host a question-and-answer session and sign copies of his book.

While the program is free for all AACA Museum members, attendance is included with each regular AACA Museum admission on Saturday, October 12. Attendees are asked to register in advance by calling 717-566-7100 or online at AACAMuseum.org.

After the informative program, attendees can tour the Museum’s current featured exhibits, including Studebaker Cool: 114 Years of Innovation, which tells the tale of Studebaker from its beginnings as a wagonmaker through the 1960s with a varied display of more than 50 vehicles. A highlight of the exhibition is the 1962 Sceptre prototype, on display for the first time in an East Coast museum. Harley-Davidson: History, Mythology, and Perceptions of America’s Motorcycle offers more than 30 unusual motorcycles that recount the history of this legendary brand. Raymond Loewy: A Retrospective introduces this amazing industrial designer known for his work with Studebaker and many other very prominent brands. The exhibition also includes one of Raymond Loewy’s personal vehicles, a customized 1964 Corvair. The Raymond Loewy Retrospective is shown in cooperation with The Hagley Museum and Library and the Raymond Loewy Estate and will be on view in the Members 1st Gallery. The AACA Museum also hosts a display of early Oakland vehicles on loan from the Pontiac-Oakland Club Keystone State Region.

About the AACA Museum, Inc.

The AACA Museum, Inc., a Smithsonian Affiliate, displays beautifully restored automobiles, buses, and motorcycles in unique lifelike scenes representing the 1890s through the 1980s on a cross-country journey from New York to San Francisco. As one of the largest automotive museums in the country, AACA Museum, Inc., features special exhibits that change several times a year and focus on a variety of eras and types of vehicles.

The Museum was recently recognized by USA Today 10 Best, Road & Track, and AutoClassics as one of the top automobile museums in the country.

The AACA Museum, Inc., has been and remains an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, not affiliated with The Antique Automobile Club of America.

The Museum is in South Hanover Township, just off Route 39 and one mile west of Hersheypark Drive in Hershey, Pa. Regular admission is $12.50; seniors age 61 and older, $11.50; juniors age 4 to 12, $9.50; and children age 3 and under, free. Admission is also free to AACA Museum, Inc., members, and Antique Automobile Club of America members with a current membership card.

The Museum will close at noon on Oct. 9 to prepare for the Night at the Museum. On Oct. 10 and 11, the Museum will be open until 9:00 PM. Otherwise, the Museum is open daily from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The Museum is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. For more information, call 717-566-7100 or visit AACAMuseum.org.