GREENVILLE, S.C. (Jan. 16, 2015) — Michelin North America Inc. (MNA) and the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) will distribute $100,000 in Michelin/FIA Teen Road Safety Grants in 2015 to improve teen driver training in Miami and Los Angeles.
The grants continue the goals of Michelin's Beyond the Driving Test campaign, launched in partnership with the FIA in 2014 to raise awareness of tire maintenance and safety among new drivers. The grants coincide with the North American debut of the FIA-sanctioned Formula E Championship, the highest class of competition for electrically powered cars.
Michelin said it is encouraging non-profit and educational organizations with networks in the greater Miami and Los Angeles areas to apply for the grants by downloading an application at the Beyond Driving website, and submitting it by Feb. 15.
The winning organizations will be announced in March. The first two cities in the pilot program were chosen to align with the U.S. stages of the Formula E racing circuit, which takes place in Miami in March and Long Beach, Calif., in April.
“As we identified in our teen and parent survey for Beyond the Driving Test, there is a significant gap among teens today in understanding even the most basic tire safety information,” said Pete Selleck, chairman and president of MNA. “We encourage road safety organizations large and small to apply for these grants so we can help get teens the information they need and close this dangerous safety gap.”
Each Michelin/FIA Teen Road Safety Grant will focus on local activation in the greater Miami and Long Beach areas. Key criteria for programs selected include:
- Ways the partner might sustain the program each year;
- How elements of the program can be successfully replicated in other states;
- How the program creates visual, tangible connections in the car and in the classroom for student drivers to embrace tire safety; and
- Meaningful metrics by which to measure objectives.
Michelin said it will evaluate long-term funding support for the programs based on outcomes from the pilots in Miami and Long Beach.