The FIA and Michelin have announced at the Formula E Miami ePrix that ADTSEA (the American Driver and Traffic Safety Education Association) is the winner of a $100,000 Michelin/FIA Teen Road Safety Grant.

Automobile accidents are the No. 1 killer of teens in America, with more than 5,000 deaths each year.* Of the 2.2 million vehicle accidents taking place annually, 12 percent are among inexperienced drivers and involve tyre-related issues such as insufficient tyre tread or improperly inflated tyres.** In addition to this grant, the FIA and Michelin are making resources available at beyondthedrivingtest.com to help teens and parents brush up on their car and tyre maintenance skills. 

The grant programme is a significant new initiative to improve the safety of teen drivers by teaching proper tyre maintenance. In addition to continuing the goals of Michelin’s Beyond the Driving Test campaign, this first year of the programme celebrates the North American debut of the FIA-sanctioned Formula E Championship in Miami and Long Beach, Calif., by helping to create a lasting legacy in those communities. Formula E is the highest class of competition for electrically powered cars.

ADTSEA is the professional association representing traffic safety educators throughout the United States and abroad. It was chosen to receive the entire $100,000 in grant funding for its proposal to develop a tyre safety and maintenance training module and deliver the instruction as part of a one-day workshop for 200 driver education instructors in Miami and Long Beach. This workshop will also be delivered at ADTSEA’s national conference in July which hundreds of instructors are expected to attend.

 “We are pleased to award the inaugural Michelin/FIA Teen Road Safety Grant to ADTSEA. Their proposal can easily be scaled to reach driver education teachers across the country and sustained well into the future. Through ADTSEA’s reach and commitment to quality education, we can help close a dangerous safety gap among teen drivers and create a lasting community legacy,” said Pete Selleck, chairman and president of Michelin North America.

The one-day sessions will focus on how to teach tyre safety and maintenance and how to incorporate this training module into the ADTSEA 3.0 Driver Education Curriculum. Participants will receive a free copy of the curriculum, including lesson plans, learning activities, visuals and videos – customized with Michelin tyre safety materials. As part of the session, hands-on activities will “teach the teachers” how to check tyre pressure, tread depth and tyre condition. Teachers will be encouraged to take this information back to their own communities and conduct workshops for other teachers. The tyre safety and maintenance module will be available on the ADTSEA website for free download.

“ADTSEA is honored to be awarded this grant from Michelin and the FIA, and we look forward to adding tyre safety to our core curriculum,” said Allen Robinson, chief executive officer of ADTSEA. “This is a natural extension of our mission to equip the novice driver with the skills to begin the lifelong learning process of driving in today’s challenging highway transportation system.”

The FIA has partnered with Michelin since 2011 through a shared commitment to innovation and road safety and is a founding partner of Formula E. A unique feature of the Formula E series is the plan to leave a lasting legacy behind in the communities where the races are held.

 The two organisations are also committed to rallying the industry, calling for all 50 states to include tyre safety information in their official driver's education materials by 2020. 

* 2012 NHTSA study focused on tyre problems as experienced by light vehicles in the pre-crash phase.

** Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System: 2012