MINI USA Offers Safe Motoring Tips For Summer Driving Season

WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J., July 18, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The summer season is the busiest time of year on America's highways and back roads. With young drivers accounting for 6 percent (12.6 million) of the total number of licensed drivers on the road this summer, MINI believes there is no better time than now to teach the importance of safe and non-distracted driving.

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Miles Ahead, based at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, utilizes former race car drivers as instructors who use their experience to teach safe driving to adults and teens alike.  MINI USA and Miles Ahead offer a few simple rules to follow to help avoid an accident on the road this summer:

1. Obey the speed limit – Driving too fast significantly increases your chances of getting into an accident.
2. Maintain a safe following distance – Always leave enough space to stop should the car in front of you suddenly brake.
3. Anticipate by looking ahead – Looking ahead in traffic can help you be ready to respond to potential hazards.  Always try to look 10 seconds ahead.
4. Turn your cell phone off – There is no reason to be talking or texting while driving.  Your attention should be 100 percent on the road.
5. Drive a safe car – Make sure you are driving a safe car.  Keep up on your maintenance, including checking your tire pressure.

"Simple things like obeying the speed limit and turning off your phone can significantly reduce your chances of an accident," said Stephan Gregoire, seven-time Indy 500 driver and instructor at the MINI Teen and Performance Motoring Schools with Miles Ahead. "It is also extremely important for adults to lead by example in front of young drivers."

"Almost all of the new small cars on the market today include safety features that not only help keep passengers safe during accidents but also help prevent collisions with other cars and pedestrians," said Chris Potgieter, Product Manager, MINI USA. 

Miles Ahead, the only driving school in the 104-year history of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway that is licensed and authorized to conduct driver training on its grounds,  enjoys a partnership with MINI USA and uses a fleet of new MINI Cooper Hardtops for both its teen and performance motoring schools.

For more information, please visit https://www.bemilesahead.net/

About MINI in the US
MINI is an independent brand of the BMW Group. In the United States, MINI USA operates as a business unit of BMW of North America, LLC, located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey and includes the marketing and sales organizations for the MINI brand. The MINI USA sales organization is represented in the U.S. through a network of 120 MINI passenger car dealers in 38 states. MINI USA began selling vehicles in the U.S. in 2002 with the introduction of the MINI Cooper and MINI Cooper S Hardtops. Since then, the MINI Brand in the U.S. has grown to encompass a model range of seven unique vehicles.

Journalist notes: Media information about MINI and its products is available to journalists on-line at www.miniusanews.com.

Consumer information about MINI products is available via the internet at: www.MINIUSA.com.

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SOURCE MINI USA