Kia and B.R.A.K.E.S. Gear Up for National
Teen Driver Safety Week (Oct. 19-25) to Raise Awareness for Free, Hands-On,
Behind-the-Wheel Education
B.R.A.K.E.S. has trained more than 12,000 teens and their
parents in 10 states
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for
14-18 year olds in the U.S.1
IRVINE,
Calif., Oct. 20, 2014 – Kia Motors
America (KMA) has furthered its commitment to keeping young drivers safe on the
road by expanding the company’s partnership with the B.R.A.K.E.S. (Be
Responsible And Keep Everyone Safe) Teen Pro-Active Driving School to help the
501(c)(3) charity offer additional classes across the country, increasing its
geographic reach and the total number of teens that receive this lifesaving
training.
In
conjunction with National Teen Driver Safety Week, Oct. 19-25, Kia and B.R.A.K.E.S. will provide
an estimated 200 teens and their parents with free, hands-on defensive driving
instruction in new Kia vehicles. These 200 students will add to the more than
12,000 teens that have already graduated from B.R.A.K.E.S.’ intensive half-day
training, which includes a distracted driving exercise, emergency braking using
the anti-lock braking system (ABS), evasive maneuvering and skid-control
practice. Kia is the Official Vehicle and
presenting sponsor of the B.R.A.K.E.S. Teen Pro-Active Driving School.
“Kia joined forces
with B.R.A.K.E.S. more than a year ago because we believe in (founder) Doug
Herbert and the organization, and we support their mission to save lives
through driver education,” said Michael Sprague, executive vice president of
sales and marketing, KMA. “We’ve
supplied the school with a fleet of new Kia vehicles, and we’re
expanding our commitment to help scale up this valuable effort. With traffic accidents still the leading
cause of fatalities among teens 14 to 18 years of age, we’re determined to help
B.R.A.K.E.S. maximize their impact in communities across the country.”
Sobering
statistics reveal that drivers 16 to 19 years of age have the highest average
annual crash and traffic violation rates among all age groups2, and the chance
of having at least one crash in the first three years of driving is 89.2
percent3. Accidents are the leading
cause of death for teens in the U.S.
“Kia’s partnership has been
instrumental in raising awareness with teens and parents about the importance
of responsible driving
and the benefits of hands on training behind the wheel,” said Doug Herbert,
National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Top Fuel drag racer and founder of
B.R.A.K.E.S. “Our training is designed to prepare teens for the situations that
they will inevitably face at some point as drivers. Experience with these
situations in a controlled environment helps them make good decisions when they
face them on the street. And, of course, we also include classroom lessons and
hands-on exercises to impress upon our students just how dangerous distracted driving
is.”
B.R.A.K.E.S.
has provided free safe-driving instruction for more than 12,000 students in 10
states across America. The school offers
nearly four hours of hands-on training with a low three-to-one
student-to-teacher ratio to ensure personal attention, and parents participate
in the courses alongside their teens to ensure proper driving techniques are
reinforced following the session. Teens
with parents who set driving rules and monitor their activities are half as
likely to crash, 71 percent less likely to drive intoxicated, 30 percent less
likely to use a cell phone when driving and less inclined to speed4.
Upcoming
training dates include Oct. 25 - 26 in Concord, North Carolina; Nov. 1 - 2 in
Ocoee, Florida; Nov. 15 - 16 in Concord, North Carolina; Dec. 6 - 7 in Concord,
North Carolina, and Dec. 20 - 21 in Pomona, California. Additional schools are expected to be added
soon.
The B.R.A.K.E.S. Training Curriculum includes
the following –
·
Accident
Avoidance/Slalom: The two-part course
simulates an animal or object jumping out in front of a car. It forces students to make a split-second
reaction to help negotiate a quick, evasive lane change without losing control
of the vehicle. Students must navigate
their vehicle around cones while focusing on weight transfer, hand positioning
and eye scanning.
·
Distracted
Driving: In 2009 it was estimated more
than 5,400 people died in crashes that were reported to involve a distracted
driver and about 448,000 people were injured5. The course demonstrates the
danger that cell phones, text messaging, and other distractions can pose while
driving.
·
Drop
Wheel/Off Road Recovery: The drop-wheel
recovery course teaches students how to effectively recover when one or more of
their wheels veers off the road surface and onto the shoulder, regaining
control of the car and safely returning to the roadway.
·
Panic
Stop: Teens often lack the experience
needed to judge a safe following distance.
The panic stop course instructs students on proper braking techniques to
help stop a vehicle in the shortest distance possible while maintaining
control. Students experience firsthand
the pulsating brake pedal effects of ABS and how to control the vehicle when ABS
in engaged.
·
Car
Control and Recovery: A wet skid pad
simulates wet-road conditions. Students
learn how to recover from both over-steer (rear wheel) and under-steer (front
wheel) skids.
·
Other
learning experiences vary by school but can include an eye-opening view from
the driver’s seat of a big-rig truck with a discussion about safe zones and
blind spots, as well as demonstrations from police and fire-rescue agencies.
About B.R.A.K.E.S.
B.R.A.K.E.S.
(Be Responsible And Keep Everyone Safe), is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
founded by NHRA Mello Yellow Series Top Fuel drag racer Doug Herbert in memory
of his two sons, Jon and James, who were tragically killed in a car
accident. The B.R.A.K.E.S. Teen
Pro-Active Driving School is a free, defensive driving program. By training and educating teenage drivers and
their parents, the program aims to promote safe driving in an attempt to
prevent injuries and save lives. To volunteer, obtain more information or
donate please visit www.putonthebrakes.org.
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