Toyota Launches High School Safe Teen Driving Program at Southern
California High Schools
TORRANCE, Calif., Nov. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Toyota is expanding
its long-term commitment to safe teen driving with the introduction
of an innovative national driver safety program, The Road
Ahead, in high schools throughout Southern California.
The program will benefit more than 6,000 local students in an
effort to save lives and promote road safety. The Road Ahead
is an expansion of Toyota's free, safe teen driving program,
Toyota Driving Expectations, which began in 2004 and
has benefited more than 20,000 teens and parents.
Featuring Erica Enders, a nationally recognized race car driver
and subject of the original Disney movie "Right on Track," The Road
Ahead kicks off its Southern
California debut at selected high schools in the South Bay,
Los Angeles and Orange County communities. Designed to
educate and empower teens about road safety, the program engages
students with high-impact video, live presentations and a
distracted driving demonstration to teach them how to prepare,
concentrate and observe the road ahead. During the simulated
distracted driving experience, students will observe and understand
the dangers associated with distractions behind the wheel.
All programs are free and will take place during school hours.
"By bringing The Road Ahead to Southern California high schools, students
will gain critical knowledge to help them become responsible
drivers," said Michael Rouse,
Toyota's vice president of diversity, philanthropy and community
affairs. "With motor vehicle crashes remaining the leading
cause of death for U.S. teens, it's important for Toyota to expand
upon Toyota Driving Expectations in order to impact even more young
drivers."
Enders is the first woman in history to qualify No.1 in the
National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Pro Stock Field and set a
Guinness World Record. Sharing the inspiring story of
realizing her dream, she also understands first-hand the importance
of safe driving as she reaches speeds of more than 200 miles per
hour when racing on the closed NHRA Pro Stock.
"Promoting safe driving early on is essential to help develop
responsible habits behind the wheel as an adult," Enders
said. "I'm excited to support this program and help students
understand the importance of road safety."
In addition to The Road Ahead program in high schools, Toyota
will once again offer Southern
California teens and parents the free, behind-the-wheel
defensive driving program, On the Road, in spring 2013. The
2.5-hour course supplements standard driving education courses with
real-time opportunities to learn about defensive driving, the
impact of distractions and safe habits. The program involves
both driving time and classroom discussions, and is unique for
requiring the participation of a parent or guardian to support
coaching within the family. Interested participants may sign
up to be alerted about registration for the Southern California program at
www.toyotadrivingexpectations.com.
Additional opportunities to learn safe driving techniques are
available at select Toyota dealerships and on the web at
www.toyotateendriver.com. In spring 2013, Toyota will offer
free safety clinics at select Toyota dealerships covering vehicle
dynamics and safety features, defensive driving, distracted driving
and the importance of vehicle maintenance. The program offers
parents and teens an opportunity to learn safe driving tips from
professional instructors in a non-sales environment inside their
local Toyota dealerships. The online Toyota Teen Driver
program offers teens, parents and educators across the country
access to free information and resources at
www.toyotateendriver.com. Created in partnership with
Discovery Education, the program also includes the Toyota Teen
Driver Video Challenge and Educator Challenge, which offers
teachers and students the opportunity to win prizes and
scholarships by showing a commitment to safety.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE: TM) established operations in the United States in 1957 and currently
operates 10 manufacturing plants. Toyota directly employs over
30,000 in the U.S. and its investment here is currently valued at
more than $18 billion, including
sales and manufacturing operations, research and development,
financial services and design.
Toyota is committed to being a good corporate citizen in the
communities where it does business and believes in supporting
programs with long-term sustainable results. Toyota supports
numerous organizations across the country, focusing on education,
the environment and safety. Since 1991, Toyota has contributed over
half a billion dollars to philanthropic programs in the
U.S.
For more information on Toyota's commitment to improving
communities nationwide, visit
http://www.toyota.com/philanthropy.
Toyota Contact:
Karen Polan
Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A.,
Inc.
310-468-4861
karen_polan@toyota.com
Media Contact:
Rebecca Lee
GolinHarris for Toyota
213-438-8827
rlee@golinharris.com
SOURCE Toyota