TEENS TO LEARN LIFE-SAVING DRIVING SKILLS FOR FREE

Non-profit organization continues its mission to help save the lives of young drivers

Motor vehicle crashes are the number one killer of America's teens according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In 2007, there were 3,363 motor vehicle related fatalities in the state of Texas, making it the 2nd deadliest state in the country for motor vehicle deaths. Of those fatalities, 805 (or about 24 percent) were young people aged 16 to 24. Driver's Edge, with its innovative and potentially life-saving instructional program, will make its eighth visit to Texas to help tackle this problem. On April 18 and 19, young drivers can benefit from this non-profit organization's free program as the 2009 Driver's Edge National Tour visits Texas Motor Speedway in Ft. Worth.

Driver’s Edge includes the following elements:

– Classroom and behind-the-wheel defensive driving instruction on skid control, evasive lane change maneuvers, anti-lock braking skills and panic-braking techniques, plus written tests designed to test knowledge both before and after students are behind the wheel; – Local law enforcement interaction, including impaired driving awareness and seat belt safety; and – Proper car maintenance session based on Firestone Complete Auto Care's Car Care Academies. WHAT: Driver's Edge provides real-life training for young drivers in an effort to combat the unacceptably high annual number of teen auto collisions and driving fatalities. This exciting half-day program presented with an MTV flavor includes classroom and behind-the-wheel training for young drivers. Parents are strongly encouraged to attend as well. WHEN: Saturday April 18, 2009 Sunday April 19, 2009 Session One: 8 a.m. “ 12:30 p.m. Session One: 8 a.m. “ 12:30 p.m. Session Two: 1 p.m. “ 5:30 p.m. Session Two: 1 p.m. “ 5:30 p.m. WHERE: Texas Motor Speedway 3545 Lone Star Circle Ft. Worth, Texas 76177 WHO: Jeff Payne, Driver's Edge founder, Steven Tepper, Driver's Edge president, and the Edge team of professional racecar drivers and performance driving instructors. **Members of the media are invited to come out and test their skills behind the wheel.** TO ATTEND: Young drivers, aged 15 to 21, possessing a valid learner's permit or driver’s license, must register in advance at www.driversedge.org. Each day, a total of 200 young drivers (plus their parents) have the opportunity to attend. While the value of a comparable program is $450 per person, there is no charge for young drivers to attend Driver's Edge, thanks to private charitable donations and the generous support of community-minded partners such as Bridgestone Americas, Inc., Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC (the presenting partner of the Driver's Edge National Tour), Bridgestone Retail Operations, LLC, the IndyCar Series and the CarMax Foundation. Information and image are from the Driver’s Edge Website.