KeyBank, Kumho Tire Expand Key To Safe Teen Driving Program

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May 10, 2012, 08:45 ET

CLEVELAND, May 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- KeyBank and Kumho Tire U.S.A. are expanding a free program designed to improve teen driving skills and raise awareness about the importance of proper training for young drivers.

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The program - called Key to Safe Teen Driving - is now in its fourth year and will include 24 events in 14 cities: Akron, Canton, Cleveland, Toledo, Dayton, Cincinnati and Columbus, OH; Ann Arbor, MI; Indianapolis and South Bend, IN; Rochester and Buffalo, NY; and Eau Claire and Appleton, WI.

The program uses professional instructors from The Mid-Ohio School and is designed to improve teen driving skills and raise awareness about the importance of proper training for young drivers. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among 15-to-20-year-olds, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The program aims to combat this statistic.

Key to Safe Teen Driving offers participants a condensed version of The Mid-Ohio School's Honda Teen Defensive Driving Program. Up to 120 students at each event will receive classroom instruction and practice in wet braking and emergency lane change maneuvers under the guidance of Mid-Ohio instructors. Students will also drive the Honda Civic Skid Car, which simulates driving in slick conditions.

"Our mission at KeyBank is to help clients and communities thrive," said Tom Tulodzieski, president of KeyBank's Great Lakes Region. "This program helps teens thrive by teaching them driving skills that aren't taught in regular driver training programs. While this program will touch more than 2,000 teen drivers, its impact can be much greater by raising awareness among teens about driving responsibly and raising awareness among parents about the importance of proper training for young drivers."

"Kumho is pleased to team up with KeyBank and The Mid-Ohio School again this year to take the Key to Safe Teen Driving program to teens when they need it most," said Rick Brennan, vice president of marketing for Kumho Tire U.S.A. "With graduation parties, road trips with friends and more in the works for so many young drivers, our hope is that participants learn some new driving skills that may someday save their lives while out on the road."

"Keeping our children safe on the road has been a priority of The Mid-Ohio School for many years. Having partners like KeyBank and Kumho Tire that align themselves with that priority is crucial to the program's success," said Craig Rust, president of The Mid-Ohio School. "We're pleased they turned to us to operate the Key to Safe Teen Driving program for the last few years and are excited about the expanded schedule in 2012."

The 2012 schedule, which features new events in Ann Arbor and Rochester, includes:

Canton, OH -- June 19
Akron, OH -- June 20
Cleveland, OH -- June 20 & 21
Toledo, OH -- June 26 & 27
Ann Arbor, MI -- June 28 & 29
Indianapolis, IN -- July 9 & 10
South Bend, IN -- July 12 & 13
Dayton, OH -- July 18
Cincinnati, OH -- July 19
Columbus, OH -- July 26 & 27
Rochester, NY-- July 30 & 31
Buffalo, NY-- August 2 & 3
Eau Claire, WI -- August 6 & 7
Appleton, WI -- August 9 & 10