Every day, at least nine Americans die and 100 are injured in distracted driving crashes*. In 2016, more than 3,000 people were killed by distracted drivers**. To end preventable injuries and death, DENSO has donated $125,000 in fiscal year 2019 to extend and expand its partnership with national teen defensive driving program B.R.A.K.E.S. (Be Responsible And Keep Everyone Safe). The B.R.A.K.E.S. charity offers young drivers across the country, and their parents, free, extensive behind-the-wheel training to reduce auto crashes.
Car crashes are the No. 1 cause of death among teens in the United States. Even scarier – more than 90 percent of all crashes are caused by human error, such as texting, speeding or impaired driving. April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and both DENSO and B.R.A.K.E.S. are committed to educating drivers of all ages on the dangers caused by mental, visual and manual distractions. Cell phones, in-car entertainment and navigation systems, passengers – anything that competes for a driver’s attention – can pose a threat to road safety for drivers, riders, pedestrians and the surrounding environment.
“DENSO is invested in creating a society that is free of traffic accidents. We’ve been developing technologies and products that improve the safety and efficiency of vehicles for decades. But even that isn’t enough to prevent every accident from happening,” said Robert Townsend, vice president, Community Affairs at DENSO. “We are proud to continue our partnership with B.R.A.K.E.S. to build on our vision for a future with zero traffic accidents.”
DENSO develops and manufactures a wide range of safety technologies available in vehicles today, like autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning, forward collision mitigation, park assist, adaptive cruise control and blind spot warning systems. DENSO’s work on sensor technologies that cover different driving conditions and with artificial intelligence to improve image recognition is crucial for autonomous driving. The mobility supplier also supports many road safety education events and activities in the communities where its more than 24,000 U.S. employees work and live.
“We conduct dozens of B.R.A.K.E.S. schools all across the country every year. Raising awareness of the dangers of distracted driving has always been a core part of our curriculum,” said B.R.A.K.E.S. founder and longtime NHRA drag racing star Doug Herbert. “During this year’s National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, we’re working with DENSO to reach an even larger audience with this critical message of safety. We’re grateful to DENSO and all of our other partners, donors and supporters for helping us to save teen lives and make our roads safer for everyone.”
B.R.A.K.E.S. is a 501(c)3 charity organization that provides free, hands-on advanced driver training through its Teen Pro-Active Driving School that is facilitated by ex-law enforcement and professional racing drivers and teaches teens and their parents how to be safer on the road. Herbert started the program after losing his two sons in a tragic car crash and has since trained over 35,000 teens around the country.
During National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, B.R.A.K.E.S. is hosting driving schools in Georgia, California and North Carolina. To see the full 2019 schedule and register yourself or your teen for a class near you, visit www.putonthebrakes.org.
*The National Safety Council
**National Highway Traffic Safety Administration