NADA Partners with MyCarDoesWhat to Educate Drivers about New Safety Features in Vehicles

Research[i] conducted by the University of Iowa shows that most consumers are unsure about how potentially life-saving vehicle safety features work. Research reveals that if consumers are not introduced to one of these new safety features within the first 90 days of vehicle ownership, they are very unlikely to fully and properly utilize these features.

"While our cars are getting safer, we might not be taking advantage of the new safety features on our cars as much as we can be," said Peter Welch, president of NADA. "A blind spot monitoring system can't help you if you don't have it turned on, and automatic emergency braking isn't going to keep you safe if you think it's a substitute for being an active, alert driver. As the main touch point for consumers considering new car purchases, dealers have a very natural role to play here. And by working together, hopefully we can close the consumer education gap, and achieve our shared goal of getting drivers to feel comfortable and confident with all their vehicles have to offer on the safety front."

The MyCarDoesWhat campaign was created to educate consumers about how to best interact with these safety features to promote safer driving experiences. The initiative uses multi-media educational tools, public service announcements, consumer-friendly videos and graphics, as well as brochures, fact sheets, a new game app and social media platform to educate drivers.

"If motor vehicle crashes were a disease, vehicle safety technologies could be the cure," said Deborah A.P. Hersman, president and CEO of the National Safety Council. "Through this partnership, it is our hope that making these materials available to new car owners will pique their curiosity, and they will take the time to learn about the new technology they're driving home."

For more information visit MyCarDoesWhat.org and follow MyCarDoesWhat on Twitter and Facebook.

About NADA
NADA, founded in 1917, represents nearly 16,500 new-car, medium- and heavy-duty truck dealerships, with both domestic and international franchises. For more information, visit www.nada.org.

About the National Safety Council
Founded in 1913 and chartered by Congress, the National Safety Council, nsc.org, is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to save lives by preventing injuries and deaths at work, in homes and communities, and on the road through leadership, research, education and advocacy. NSC advances this mission by partnering with businesses, government agencies, elected officials and the public in areas where we can make the most impact – distracted driving, teen driving, workplace safety, prescription drug overdoses and Safe Communities.

About the University of Iowa
The Transportation & Vehicle Safety Research Program at the University of Iowa works to improve technology design through a better understanding of how drivers perform and behave in crash situations. Their research-driven program works at the intersection of safety technology and public policy. The program's areas of research include: human factors and human behavior, advanced in-vehicle safety technologies, driver distraction, teen driving, crash analysis and automated vehicle policy.

[i] Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160401/350565LOGO
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140125/DC52714LOGO

SOURCE National Automobile Dealers Association

Related Links

http://www.nada.org/