DENSO Prioritizes Safety through Partnership with B.R.A.K.E.S Teen Defensive Driving Program
-Mobility supplier and nonprofit organization expand collaboration during National Distracted Driving Awareness Month to educate communities about preventable auto crashes-
SOUTHFIELD, Mich., April 3, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Every day, at least nine Americans die and 100 are injured in distracted driving crashes*. In 2016, more than 3,000 people were killed by distracted drivers**. To end preventable injuries and death, DENSO, the world's second largest mobility supplier, has donated $125,000 in fiscal year 2019 to extend and expand its partnership with national teen defensive driving program B.R.A.K.E.S. (Be Responsible And Keep Everyone Safe). The B.R.A.K.E.S. charity offers young drivers across the country, and their parents, free, extensive behind-the-wheel training to reduce auto crashes.
Car crashes are the number-one cause of death among teens in the United States. Even scarier – more than 90 percent of all crashes are caused by human error, such as texting, speeding or impaired driving. April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and both DENSO and B.R.A.K.E.S. are committed to educating drivers of all ages on the dangers caused by mental, visual and manual distractions. Cell phones, in-car entertainment and navigation systems, passengers – anything that competes for a driver's attention – can pose a threat to road safety for drivers, riders, pedestrians and the surrounding environment.
"DENSO is invested in creating a society that is free of traffic accidents. We've been developing technologies and products that improve the safety and efficiency of vehicles for decades. But even that isn't enough to prevent every accident from happening," said Robert Townsend, vice president, Community Affairs at DENSO. "We are proud to continue our partnership with B.R.A.K.E.S. to build on our vision for a future with zero traffic accidents."
DENSO develops and manufactures a wide range of safety technologies available in vehicles today, like autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning, forward collision mitigation, park assist, adaptive cruise control and blind spot warning systems. DENSO's work on sensor technologies that cover different driving conditions and with artificial intelligence to improve image recognition is crucial for autonomous driving. The mobility supplier also supports many road safety education events and activities in the communities where its 24,000+ U.S. employees work and live.
"We conduct dozens of B.R.A.K.E.S. schools all across the country every year, and raising awareness of the dangers of distracted driving has always been a core part of our curriculum," said B.R.A.K.E.S. founder and longtime NHRA drag racing star Doug Herbert. "During this year's National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, we're working with DENSO to reach an even larger audience with this critical message of safety. We're grateful to DENSO and all of our other partners, donors and supporters for helping us to save teen lives and make our roads safer for everyone."
B.R.A.K.E.S. is a 501(c)3 charity organization that provides free, hands-on advanced driver training through its Teen Pro-Active Driving School that is facilitated by ex-law enforcement and professional racing drivers and teaches teens and their parents how to be safer on the road. Herbert started the program after losing his two sons in a tragic car crash and has since trained over 35,000 teens around the country.
During National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, B.R.A.K.E.S. is hosting driving schools in Georgia, California and North Carolina. To see the full 2019 schedule and register yourself or your teen for a class near you, visit www://putonthebrakes.org/.
*The National Safety Council
**National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
About DENSO Corporation
DENSO is a $48.1 billion global mobility supplier that develops advanced technology and components for nearly every vehicle make and model on the road today. With manufacturing at its core, DENSO invests in its 220 facilities in 35 countries to produce thermal, powertrain, mobility, electrification, & electronic systems, to create jobs that directly change how the world moves. The company's 170,000+ employees are paving the way to a mobility future that improves lives, eliminates traffic accidents, and preserves the environment. Globally headquartered in Kariya, Japan, DENSO spent 8.8 percent of its global consolidated sales on research and development in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2018. For more information about global DENSO, visit https://www.denso.com/global.
In North America, DENSO employs 24,000+ engineers, researchers and skilled workers across 31 sites in the U.S, Canada, and Mexico. In the United States alone, DENSO employs 17,000+ employees across 13 states and 25 sites. Headquartered in Southfield, Michigan, in fiscal year ending March 31, 2018, DENSO in North America generated $10.9 billion in consolidated sales. Join us, and craft not only how the world moves, but also your career. For more information, go to https://www.denso.com/us-ca/en/.
About B.R.A.K.E.S.
Doug Herbert's B.R.A.K.E.S. (Be Responsible and Keep Everyone Safe) is a GuideStar Platinum-rated 501(c)3 non-profit whose mission is to prevent injuries and save lives by training and educating teenage drivers and their parents about the importance of safe and responsible driving. B.R.A.K.E.S. was founded in 2008 after Top Fuel drag racer Doug Herbert lost his two young sons, Jon and James, in a tragic car crash. Today, more than 35,000 teens from 45 different states and five countries – and their parents – have graduated from the B.R.A.K.E.S.' intensive half-day training course, which is free of charge and features hands-on skills exercises taught by professional instructors in a fleet of new vehicles donated by Kia Motors America.
Advanced Driver Training
B.R.A.K.E.S. is NOT Driver's Ed. It is a FREE, hands-on, advanced driver training program taught by professional instructors, including current and former members of law enforcement, professional racers and stunt drivers. B.R.A.K.E.S. maintains a low three-to-one student-to-instructor ratio to maximize educational effectiveness.
Each weekend B.R.A.K.E.S. school includes four identical sessions to allow parents and teens to pick one that will fit into their busy schedules. Each session includes four hours of training, starting with a short, 45-minute classroom presentation followed by nearly three hours behind the wheel of new Kia vehicles.
Courses include distracted driving awareness, panic braking, drop-wheel/off-road recovery, crash avoidance and car control/skid recovery – all of the biggest causes of crashes for new drivers. Other educational elements often include 'Big Rig' safety, first responder vehicle extrication demonstration, and what to do in the event of a traffic stop.
SOURCE DENSO; B.R.A.K.E.S. (Be Responsible And Keep Everyone Safe)
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