Michelin Expands 'Beyond The Driving Test' Campaign During National Teen Driver Safety Week

GREENVILLE, S.C., October 27, 2014 -- In support of National Teen Driver Safety Week, Michelin is adding a new video by popular Vine stars Jack and Jack to its Beyond the Driving Test YouTube series. The series uses humor to raise awareness of tire maintenance and safety among new drivers. Launched in partnership with the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile, the Beyond the Driving Test campaign aims to help address the role that inexperienced drivers and tire-related problems can play in the 2.2 million vehicle accidents taking place annually in the U.S.

Michelin's YouTube video series combines humor with teens who have large online followings to reach new drivers. The series includes:

• "First Date GONE WRONG!!!!" by teen YouTube star Brent Rivera, which has attracted more than 310,000 views since its publication in September.
• "Teenager Drives Car" by 16-year-old self-described "actress/YouTuber/Adventurer" Alexis Zall, which has already drawn more than 50,000 views in just over one week.
• "Michelin Safe Driving Campaign" by Vine stars Jack and Jack debuts today at the beginning of National Teen Driver Safety Week. In this third and final video in the series, Jack and Jack use their trademark brand of humor and filming style to show teens how to check tire pressure and tread.

"With automobile accidents as the number one killer of teens in the U.S., it is encouraging that these educational videos have been viewed more than a quarter of a million times. It is critical that parents, government and businesses team up to make sure new drivers learn the skills needed to stay safe on the road," said Pete Selleck, chairman and president of Michelin North America.

Automobile accidents take the lives of more than 5,000 American teens each year[1]. Of the 2.2 million vehicle accidents taking place annually, 12 percent are among inexperienced drivers and involve tire-related issues such as insufficient tire tread or improperly inflated tires[1]. According to a new survey commissioned by Michelin North America and the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), the governing body for world motor sport, of driver's education and training in the U.S., teenagers often lack the essential knowledge and skills that can help keep them safe on the roads. This knowledge gap may result in nearly 300,000 preventable car crashes involving inexperienced drivers each year[2].

Michelin and FIA are making new resources available to help teens and parents brush up on their own car and tire maintenance skills, including a downloadable glove box guide with important tips and this new series of YouTube videos featuring popular teens.  Longer term, Michelin and FIA are calling for all 50 states to include tire safety information in their official driver's education materials by the year 2020.

To access educational resources, visit beyondthedrivingtest.com.

About Michelin
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 also publishes travel guides, hotel and restaurant guides, maps and road atlases. Headquartered in Greenville, S.C., Michelin North America (www.michelinman.com) employs more than 22,000 and operates 19 major manufacturing plants in 16 locations.

About Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA)
The FIA is the governing body for world motor sport and the federation of the world's leading motoring organisations. Founded in 1904, with headquarters in Paris, the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) is a non-profit making association. It brings together more than 230 national motoring and sporting organisations from over 134 countries on five continents. Its member clubs represent the interests of millions of motorists and their families. The FIA is also the governing body for motor sport. It administers the rules and regulations (including safety regulations) for all international motor sport.

About the FIA Action for Road Safety campaign: Launched in support of the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020, FIA Action for Road Safety aims to help save the lives of five million people on the world's roads by the end of the decade. Since its launch, the campaign has been embraced by governments, stakeholder organisations and member clubs across the globe. It has also been endorsed by some of the world's biggest sporting names.

_{[1] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System: 2012.
[2] 2012 NHTSA study focused on tire problems as experienced by light vehicles in the pre-crash phase.}

Video - http://youtu.be/M2oDzz0Q8aM

SOURCE Michelin