Dale Earnhardt Jr. has continued his outreach work with Nationwide Insurance well beyond his NASCAR racing career, focusing on teen driver safety and the well-being of his own young daughters. Through strategic collaboration with Nationwide Insurance and BRAKES, a safety group, Earnhardt aims to support safer driving practices, especially addressing the major issue of distracted driving among teens.
How Partnerships Are Shaping Safer Roads for Young Drivers
After leaving professional racing in 2017, Earnhardt remained involved with Nationwide not only for sponsorship but also to raise awareness about safety initiatives. He joined forces with Nationwide and BRAKES (Be Responsible and Keep Everyone Safe), putting special emphasis on making young drivers—including teenagers like his daughters Isla and Nicole—more alert and better prepared when facing dangerous on-road situations. The BRAKES curriculum, a three-hour educational program, is specifically tailored for teenagers with a license or a learner’s permit, and it seeks to combat the serious problem of phone-based distractions behind the wheel.
Personal Experience Drives Earnhardt’s Advocacy
The commitment Dale Earnhardt Jr. shows toward teen safety has roots in his own experiences as a young driver. He remembers the morning he crashed his cherished Chevy S-10 pickup, which had just been upgraded with a CD adapter gifted by his sister Kelley. While distracted by the new music device, he lost focus, veered off the road, and rolled the truck. Thankfully, he escaped without injury, but the event marked a pivotal learning opportunity. This was decades before smartphones became an ever-present distraction for drivers.
Reflecting on this incident, Earnhardt Jr. recognizes that if a simple audio device could divert his attention so easily back then, today’s teens—armed with smartphones and social media—are exposed to even higher risks. His own story underscores why he is deeply invested in solutions for distracted driving and determined to place safety at the forefront for the next generation.
Family Motivation Fuels Earnhardt’s Mission
Although Isla and Nicole are still only five and seven years old, Earnhardt is clear about their future involvement in teen safety programs.
Oh, but they’re definitely going to BRAKES when they’re old enough. I’m a worrier by nature,
he stated, explaining his concern as a parent who knows first-hand the dangers teens face behind the wheel.
Innovative Programs Encourage Safe Driving Choices
In addition to public campaigns, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is taking an active stance in promoting BRAKES’ Focused Driving Rewards. This initiative uses the Nationwide app to encourage teens to put down their phones, improve their road habits, and earn positive incentives for making safe choices. The guiding principle for the program is simple but urgent: keep your hands on the wheel and your attention on the road, not on devices or messages.
Broader Impact and What’s Next
Earnhardt Jr.’s continued commitment, rooted in his own youthful mistakes and focused on his daughters, brings heightened attention to the dangers faced by young drivers today. By teaming up with trusted organizations like BRAKES and using innovative technology, he hopes to reduce distractions and promote a culture of responsible driving. This approach could serve as a model for other parents, organizations, and companies aiming to make roads safer for all—particularly as technology continues to change the way teens drive.
I spoke to @DaleJr about an issue that eventually faces all parents – distracted teen drivers and how to get them to put the phone down.
He told me a story of how he flipped his truck as a teen and how he's trying to help now. @Nationwide @PutOnTheBRAKES https://t.co/pX03baheow— Scott Fowler (@scott_fowler) January 20, 2026
