'Mopar Road Ready' Program to Help Teen Drivers in Detroit Area

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., April 21, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

• Sponsored by the FCA Foundation and supported by Mopar, a defensive driving program geared for teenage drivers will provide sessions on May 2-3 in the Detroit area
• Teens between the ages of 15-19 with a learner's or driver's license and at least 30 hours of driving experience are eligible to participate
• Teens can register for one of four complimentary sessions available over two days being held at Mopar Headquarters in Center Line, Michigan
• The program is a collaborative effort with the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Motorsports Museum and B.R.A.K.E.S., two nationally recognized non-profit organizations
• Parents can register their teen driver at www.mopar.com/road-ready/Detroit

Mopar will give a helping hand to young drivers in the Detroit area with an advanced driving program called "Mopar Road Ready," designed to teach safe and defensive driving techniques. Sponsored by the FCA Foundation and supported by Mopar, the program dedicated to training and educating teenage drivers will be available to those between the ages of 15-19 with a learner's or driver's license and at least 30 hours of driving experience.

The program was developed in collaboration with the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Motorsports Museum and B.R.A.K.E.S. (Be Responsible And Keep Everyone Safe), two nationally recognized non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations that share similar missions of promoting the importance of safe and responsible driving.

April is recognized nationally as Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and as such, Mopar encourages families to talk about steps they can take to minimize the distractions to be safer drivers and then take the next step by signing up their teens for the upcoming Mopar Road Ready program at www.mopar.com/road-ready/Detroit.

"Mopar is a brand that cares about and supports all drivers, especially the youngest," said Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO – Mopar Brand Service, Parts and Customer Care, FCA. "Distracted driving is a pressing issue for us parents, and it is an important component of our Mopar Road Ready teen drivers' initiative. This is why we've teamed with the NHRA Motorsports Museum and B.R.A.K.E.S. to offer the program and then also bring it right into our own backyard. This program is especially important because it offers teenage drivers the chance to safely gain experience and learn valuable defensive driving skills in a controlled environment."

Participants will benefit from a proven curriculum and skilled high-caliber instructors provided by the B.R.A.K.E.S. organization, with both classroom education and hands-on training with a 3:1 student-to-instructor ratio, allowing for quality time with each teen. Each teen's participation in the training program will include a companion experience for a parent or adult guardian who also will actively take part.

"The B.R.A.K.E.S. program has helped more than 13,000 kids learn safe driving techniques since 2008, and we're very pleased to be able to help educate and save even more with the support of Mopar and the NHRA Motorsports Museum," said Doug Herbert, a NHRA Top Fuel champion and popular drag racing veteran, who founded B.R.A.K.E.S. after losing his two sons in a highway accident. "It's important to all of us to have the opportunity to teach kids to be more conscientious and focused when behind the wheel, and give them the skills to avoid trouble."

The collaborative effort has already produced two Mopar Road Ready events this year in Pomona, California (Feb. 21-22), and Gainesville, Florida (March 21-22). With a third stop in the Detroit area, the program expects to have impacted more than 750 additional young drivers and their parents, but considers the program a success if just one life can be saved.

"We are very pleased to be able to help more teens through this important program with the FCA Foundation and Mopar, and also continue to fulfill the NHRA's original mission of promoting safe driving within the car culture," said Larry Fisher, Executive Director of the NHRA Motorsports Museum. "Since its founding in 1951, the NHRA have been dedicated to safety. With this program, we are proud to carry on Wally Park's vision of creating a safe environment for drivers, and to be able to do that with the youngest ones really makes this the perfect fit."

Parents and teens are encouraged to register for one of four available sessions, each providing four hours of valuable instruction. Sessions are available on either Saturday, May 2, or Sunday, May 3, with the choice of a morning session from 8 a.m. until 12 noon or an afternoon session from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Mopar's Center Line complex.

The Mopar Road Ready sessions will provide a brief classroom review of core driving topics, including proper seat positioning, hand positioning and basic vehicle dynamics. Advanced behind-the-wheel training will then be provided to teens during five on-track courses, including accident avoidance (slalom), distraction, panic stop, wheel drop and wet skid pad.

All Mopar Road Ready Center Line sessions are complimentary to registered teens and their parents and guardians.  A $99 refundable registration deposit (plus processing fees) is required to secure a spot and will be returned after the session.

Additional information can be found at http://blog.mopar.com/news/2014/11/mopar-putting-on-the-b-r-a-k-e-s/

About the NHRA Motorsports Museum
The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California, opened to the public April 4, 1998. Housed in a 28,500-square-foot building on the edge of the historic Los Angeles County Fairplex, the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum's mission is to celebrate the impact of motorsports on our culture. The facility collects, preserves, exhibits and interprets the vehicles, stories and artifacts that represent the affection for, and the influence of, automotive speed and style in all its forms. The Museum features an impressive array of vintage and historical racing vehicles along with photographs, trophies, helmets and driving uniforms, artifacts, paintings and other memorabilia chronicling more than 50 years of American motorsports. The Museum is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and all donations are tax deductible. 

About B.R.A.K.E.S.
B.R.A.K.E.S. (Be Responsible And Keep Everyone Safe), is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded by NHRA Mello Yellow Series Top Fuel drag racer Doug Herbert in memory of his two sons, Jon and James, who were tragically killed in a car accident. The B.R.A.K.E.S. Teen Pro-Active Driving School is a free, defensive driving program. By training and educating teenage drivers and their parents, the program aims to promote safe driving in an attempt to prevent injuries and save lives. To volunteer, obtain more information or donate, please visit www.putonthebrakes.org. 

About Mopar Brand
Mopar (a simple contraction of the words Motor and PARts) was trademarked in 1937 with the launch of an antifreeze product, but it truly made its mark in the 1960s during the muscle-car era. From Mopar Performance Parts to enhance speed and handling for both road and racing use, the brand soon expanded to include technical service and customer support.

Today, Mopar is FCA's service, parts and customer-care brand and distributes more than 500,000 parts and accessories in over 150 markets around the world. With more than 50 parts distribution centers and 27 customer contact hubs globally, Mopar integrates service, parts and customer-care operations in order to enhance dealer and customer support worldwide. Mopar is the source for genuine parts and accessories for FCA brands.

Mopar parts are engineered together with the same teams that create factory-authorized specifications for FCA vehicles. This offers a direct connection that no other aftermarket parts company can provide. A complete list of Mopar accessories and performance parts is available at: www.mopar.com.

Mopar-first Features 
Mopar has introduced numerous industry-first features including:

• Vehicle-information apps: first to introduce smartphone vehicle-information applications, a new channel of communication with customers
• Electronic owner manuals: first to introduce traditional owner manuals in a DVD and brief user-guide format. First to offer complete vehicle-information kits in Spanish
• Wi-Fi: first to offer customers the ability to make their vehicle a wireless hot spot
• Wireless charging: first to introduce in-vehicle wireless charging for portable devices
• Electronic Vehicle Tracking System (EVTS): first to market with interactive vehicle tracking device that sends owner a text when vehicle is driven too fast or too far based on pre-set parameters
• wiADVISOR: first to provide factory-connected tablet technology in the service lane for instant vehicle diagnosis
• wiTECH: first to support vehicle diagnosis and software updates leveraging off-the-shelf personal computers and a dedicated wireless tool network
• 2011 Mopar Challenger Drag Pak: first to introduce a 500-plus cubic-inch V-10 drag-race package car

Video - http://youtu.be/Uh0hyHkwOao 
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150420/199751

SOURCE FCA US LLC

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