Michelin Teams with NFL Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith To Spark Safe Driving Dialogue Between Parents and Teens

GREENVILLE, S.C., Oct. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- In observation of National Teen Driver Safety Week, Michelin is teaming up with NFL great Emmitt Smith to encourage much-needed dialogue between parents and their teen drivers. Michelin's "Coaching Your Teen Driver" effort provides a playbook full of tips, hands-on drills and tools that parents can use as a conversation starter to help teens master safe driving skills. 

Improved safe-driving behaviors are particularly critical for America's youngest drivers. Car crashes remain the No. 1 killer of teens, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

"The classroom is just the starting point for teaching the next generation of safe drivers. What is really important is for parents to share their own safe driving stories with their teens and making sure the teens have a chance to practice their new skills," said Scott Clark, chief operating officer for Michelin North America and head of the company's passenger car business. "During National Teen Driver Safety Week, we're joining with gridiron great Emmitt Smith to start a national conversation encouraging parents to read the playbook and practice the safe-driving drills with their teenage drivers."

Michelin's "Coaching Your Teen Driver" handbook (available at www.michelinman.com/SharingSafety) is designed to provide practical advice with the goal of making young drivers more game ready. The game plan includes key offensive and defensive driving plays that parents and teen drivers can practice together.

"As parents, we play a critical role in coaching our teens to be safe drivers. Having recently taught my son EJ how to drive, I know how nerve-wracking it can be for us ? and them! Keeping a cool head on the road starts with a strategy and a plan ? that's where Michelin's resources for coaching your teen driver can help," said Emmitt Smith.

All drivers are encouraged to join the national conversation by sharing their own playbook tips for safe driving using the hashtag #SharingSafety. "Sharing even simple tips with teens like how to maintain tires could result in a few extra feet of stopping distance that mean the difference between life and death," said Clark.

Content in the "Coaching Your Teen Driver" handbook is drawn in part from lessons Michelin developed in association with the American Driver and Traffic Safety Education Association (ADTSEA). ADTSEA was awarded the inaugural $100,000 Michelin/FIA Teen Road Safety Grant in spring 2015.

The Handbook's offensive plays include proactive maneuvers that will help emerging drivers take the wheel with confidence. These include: 

• Adjusting your mirrors
• Changing lanes
• Passing safely
• Merging onto the highway

The Handbook's defensive plays cover critical maneuvers and practices that drivers need to respond safely to road conditions and other drivers. These include: 

• Dealing with tailgaters
• Maintaining a safe distance
• Driving near large trucks
• Driving in inclement weather

Other topics in the playbook include starting with a game plan so drivers have a clear goal and route for each trip, knowing when to take a timeout, as well as practical tips for vehicle and tire maintenance.

The campaign is the latest step in Michelin's ongoing efforts to increase awareness of road safety among teen drivers. A study by Michelin found significant gaps in teen road readiness, including tire-related safety knowledge and skills. To close current safety gaps in training materials for new drivers in the United States, Michelin launched Beyond The Driving Test to persuade all 50 states to include consistent information about tire safety in their training materials. Learn more about tire maintenance and keeping young drivers safe on the road ? including how to check tread depth and tire pressure ? by visiting beyondthedrivingtest.com.

About the Michelin North America

Dedicated to the improvement of sustainable mobility, Michelin designs, manufactures and sells tires for every type of vehicle, including airplanes, automobiles, bicycles, earthmovers, farm equipment, heavy-duty trucks and motorcycles. The company has earned a long-standing reputation for building innovative premium tires.  In addition to tires, the company also publishes travel guides, hotel and restaurant guides, maps and road atlases. Headquartered in Greenville, S.C., Michelin North America (www.michelinman.com) employs about 22,700 and operates 19 major manufacturing plants.

SOURCE Michelin