Kia Motors America (KMA) is launching a nationwide partnership as the
official vehicle and presenting sponsor of B.R.A.K.E.S. (Be Responsible
And Keep Everyone Safe) Teen Pro-Active Driving School to educate
teenagers and their parents about the importance of responsible driving
habits. KMA’s support – which includes a fleet of 32 Kia vehicles –
will provide teens nationwide with no-cost, hands-on training, including
distracted driving exercise, emergency braking using the anti-lock
braking system (ABS), evasive maneuvering and skid-control practice. A
three-to-one student-to-teacher ratio will ensure personal attention and
high-quality individual instruction for every student.
“KMA is committed to giving back to the communities in which we do
business,” said Michael Sprague, executive vice president, marketing
& communications, KMA. “Our partnership with B.R.A.K.E.S. will help
teens learn to respond quickly and confidently to real-world driving
scenarios through advanced training techniques to help ensure their own
safety and that of others on the road.”
In addition to supplying school cars and other support, Kia’s
race-winning No. 38 Pirelli World Challenge (PWC) Optima Turbo, driven
by Mark Wilkins, will prominently feature B.R.A.K.E.S. for the remainder
of the 2013 PWC season in an effort to raise awareness for teen driving
safety. The racer’s new livery will be unveiled at a promotional event
in New York City’s SoHo district this evening, ahead of this weekend’s
races at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Conn.
“Kia’s support will enable B.R.A.K.E.S. to train thousands more
teens, grow awareness and expand training to new areas of the country,”
said Doug Herbert NHRA Top Fuel Racer & Founder of B.R.A.K.E.S. “We
are extremely excited about this new relationship and what we can do
together with Kia to accomplish our mission of reducing teen driving
accidents.”
B.R.A.K.E.S., a 501 c3 charity based in Charlotte, N.C., has provided
safe driving instruction courses for more than 8,000 students in the
U.S. and Canada. The school offers nearly four hours of hands-on
training and a very low student-instructor ratio to ensure personal
attention. The curriculum includes an array of defensive driving
techniques and raises awareness of the dangers of distracted driving.
Parents participate in the courses alongside their teens to ensure safe
driving techniques are reinforced following the session. To sign up for
a school in your area visit
http://www.putonthebrakes.com/driving-schools/schedule1/.
Training 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 injured[i]. 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 from a drop-wheel situation
by 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.
Courtesy of: Kia Motors America
