Buckle Up, Teens And Parents. Three Hands-On Toyota TeenDrive365 Events Coming To Town

TORRANCE, Calif., Sept. 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Parents can help steer their teenage drivers to safety by joining them during Toyota's 11^th year of offering free, driving skills programs. Toyota's comprehensive TeenDrive365 platform gives families tips and resources for the critical first year of teen driving. The TeenDrive365 teen driver experience will go on the road to Pearl, Mississippi; Ann Arbor, Michigan; and Honolulu, Hawaii to teach defensive driving skills, crash avoidance techniques and the dangers of distracted driving.

Motor vehicle crashes continue to be the leading cause of death among teens. Recognizing that parents play a crucial role in developing habits of their teens behind the wheel, Toyota's program uniquely requires a parent or guardian to actively participant in the event with the teen. The teen driver experience is open to pre-drivers and new drivers with a valid driver's license or learner's permit.

This year's events will take place in:

• Pearl, Mississippi on Sept. 27 and 28 at Bass Pro Shops
• Ann Arbor, Michigan on Oct. 4 and 5 at Washtenaw Community College
• Honolulu, Hawaii on Nov. 8 and 9 at Aloha Stadium

Registration is required and open now at events.teendrive365.com.

"Toyota is committed to bringing parents and teens together to better navigate the important first years on the road," said Michael Rouse, Toyota's vice president of diversity, philanthropy and community affairs. "Through this year's three hands-on safe driving programs around the country, coupled with our online TeenDrive365 resources, we hope to make the roads a little safer for everyone."

The TeenDrive365 teen driver experience events are two-and-a-half-hour sessions that involve both driving time and classroom discussions. Going beyond what is taught in standard driver education courses, professional instructors cover vehicle maintenance tips, defensive maneuvers and a number of other helpful safe driving techniques. Parents and teens will make mutual driving agreements and learn communication tips to continue at-home learning.

For more than a decade Toyota has provided teen driver safety resources to help drivers conquer the road safely. TeenDrive365.com offers free online teen safety resources to parents, teens, educators and schools.

ABOUT TOYOTA
Toyota, the world's top automaker and creator of the Prius, is committed to building vehicles for the way people live through our Toyota, Lexus and Scion brands.  Over the past 50 years, we've built more than 25 million cars and trucks in North America, where we operate 14 manufacturing plants and directly employ more than 40,000 people.  Our 1,800 North American dealerships sold more than 2.5 million cars and trucks in 2013 – and about 80 percent of all Toyota vehicles sold over the past 20 years are still on the road today. 

Toyota partners with philanthropic organizations across the country, with a focus on education, safety and the environment.  As part of this commitment, we share the company's extensive know-how garnered from building great cars and trucks to help community organizations and other nonprofits expand their ability to do good. To date, Toyota has contributed more than $700 million to nonprofits in the U.S.  For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyota.com/usa.

Media Contact:
Rebecca Lee
Golin for Toyota
[email protected]
213-438-8827

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SOURCE Toyota