Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy Schooling Students For National Teen Driver Safety Week 2012

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy (MBDA), the California DMV-certified teen driving school, is once again ramping up efforts in support of keeping teen drivers safe on the road.  To kick-off National Teen Driver Safety Week (October 14^th -20^th), MBDA along with Impact Teen Drivers and California Highway Patrol, Los Angeles Police Department and Los Angeles Unified School District Police, will hold a press conference and distracted driving demonstration at Fairfax High School with the goal of informing and educating young drivers on the importance of being safe behind the wheel. 

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Fairfax High School in Los Angeles will serve as the hub for several activities coinciding with National Teen Driver Safety Week. The day will begin with a press conference including state and local representatives and conclude with students attending a special assembly presented by Impact Teen Drivers as well as a distracted driving demonstration from Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy.  During the demonstration students will gain first-hand experience on the risks of distracted driving. Keeping with this year's theme of "Share, not Scare", students will be motivated to make good decisions behind-the-wheel and learn the life-saving benefits of safe driving. 

Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy has also enlisted the help of Academy Award® Nominated Actress Hailee Steinfeld to help kick-off National Teen Driver Safety Week activities to raise awareness around teen driver safety. Steinfeld, a California native, is a student herself having only recently started learning to drive in anticipation of her sixteenth birthday in December. "Driving is a freedom and privilege that many teens take for granted," said Steinfeld.   "As I am learning to drive and my friends are too, it has become more of a personal issue for me to help spread the word about safe driving among my peers. I realized I need to do my part in getting the skills needed to make good decisions on the road through more extensive training."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number one cause of death amongst adolescents ages 15-20 is a car crash. National averages show that teens are most likely to have a significant crash in their first year of driving, four-times higher than an adult or experienced driver.

"In the United States, vehicle crashes are the number one killer of teens.  Most of these deaths are the result of inexperience and distractions," said Carolyn Duchene, director of Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy.  "National Teen Driver Safety Week will bring awareness to this issue and help parents and teens learn the importance of safe driving." 

Mercedes-Benz, a leader in automobile safety, is making a major commitment to driver education and safety in Southern California to combat the alarming statistics surrounding teen car crashes in the region. Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy will host and participate in several activities during National Teen Driver Safety Week to focus the public's attention on the dangers facing teen drivers.  Activities for the week include Los Angeles-area school presentations, distracted driving demonstrations, free parent and teen workshops and a teen driver safety fair.

"Motor vehicle crashes are the number one killer of teens," said NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman.  "Programs such as the Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy can help young drivers become safer drivers, so they don't put themselves, their passengers, and others at risk."

The new methodologies and approach for Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy are based on findings of European and North American traffic safety experts and institutions, confirming the most effective methods for both teaching and learning in the realm of driver education and training. Coaching, a learner-centered method, leads students out of the passive consuming of safety information into the role of actively producing safe driving results by making better decisions on the road.

For more information on Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy or any of the activities mentioned above, visit www.mbdrivingacademy.com or call 888-MBDA-USA.

About Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy

Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy, opened in Los Angeles in November 2011, is the first international teen driving school.  Mercedes-Benz is the only automotive manufacturer to operate a state-certified driver education school in the United States. 

Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy features a customized curriculum involving a highly interactive, participatory system of key tactical on-line and classroom components in conjunction with on-road training.  The school's highly effective coaching-method and unique offerings, including a closed course distracted driving range, aims to improve better decision-making behind the wheel and develop safer drivers for life.  More information on Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy can be found at www.mbdrivingacademy.com.

About Mercedes-Benz USA

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA), headquartered in Montvale, New Jersey, is responsible for the distribution, marketing and customer service for all Mercedes-Benz and Maybach products in the United States.  MBUSA offers drivers the most diverse line-up in the luxury segment with 14 model lines ranging from the sporty C-Class to the flagship S-Class sedans and the SLS AMG supercar.  

MBUSA is also responsible for the distribution, marketing and customer service of Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Vans and smart in the US.  More information on MBUSA and its products can be found at www.mbusa.com, www.mbsprinterusa.com and www.smartusa.com.

SOURCE Mercedes-Benz USA