ASHLAND, Ohio, April 2, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Presenting a powerful solution to the number one cause of death among young people ages 16 to 20, an Ohio company has launched a new auto-safety device called "Highway Guardian." The device is an easy-to-install vehicle-speed limiter designed to ensure the safety of young drivers, while offering peace-of-mind to parents and a whole new level of safety on our nation's roads.

Created by Dan and Kim Mager -- Ohio law enforcement officers and parents of a teen driver -- Highway Guardian is an electronic, GPS-based device that limits the top speed of a vehicle to 73 mph by safely controlling the fuel injection system. Powered by the auto's electrical system, the device can be easily installed in about one hour -- in a simple, three-wire installation that can be handled by any novice mechanic -- and works in nearly any vehicle manufactured after 1990.

Why is Highway Guardian so desperately needed? Statistics reveal the frightening answer: Each year in the U.S., approximately 14,000 teen and collateral deaths, and 140,000 serious injuries occur in automobile accidents, with 40 percent of all of them being due to high speed. Young drivers are far more likely than older drivers to speed and to allow shorter headways. Among male drivers ages 15 to 20, who were involved in fatal crashes, 37 percent were speeding at the time of the crash. A teenager is 56 percent more likely to crash while going 85 mph than he or she would have been going 60 mph.

Dan Mager, founder of Highway Guardian, says his creation of the product was a direct response to the tragedy he saw all around him through his work as a law enforcement officer and high school football coach.

"The concept arose after I and my fellow officers and EMS personnel witnessed the devastating impact of high-speed crashes involving teenagers," Mager said. "In a relatively short time, several accidents claimed the lives of teenagers near my hometown. Two things became absolutely clear to me: First, something had to be invented to protect our children. Second, there was no time to waste. I comprised a well-equipped team. We worked hard and our dream of saving lives became a reality."

The device, manufactured by Intellitronix in Mentor, Ohio, retails for $299 and can be ordered at HighwayGuardian.com. A percentage of the proceeds from the sale of Highway Guardian benefit The Chelsea Gerbitz Memorial Scholarship Fund.

POSITIVE EARLY RESPONSE TO "HIGHWAY GUARDIAN"

"Like seatbelts and airbags, the Highway Guardian speed-limiter gives parents peace-of- mind."

- Chad Buzzard, Paramedic/Firefighter

"Why wouldn't a parent invest in a product that could potentially save their child's life? I cannot think of a reason not to have this on my kid's car."

- Police Officer Aaron Kline, Technical Crash Investigator

"High-speed crashes can affect so many lives. This product eliminates the peer pressure to speed."

- Chancy Gerbitz, sister of 15-year-old auto crash victim Chelsea Gerbitz

Breakthrough technology designed to ensure the safety of young drivers, offering peace of mind to parents interested in secure, speed-limiting protection.