Nissan works to save lives through interactive teen driver safety education

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. – With nearly 150 Michiganders killed each year in accidents involving a teenage driver, Nissan is partnering with the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP) to educate teens about the dangers of distracted driving through the ThinkFast® Interactive education program.

ThinkFast® Interactive is an interactive awareness game show that educates students about the importance of teen driving safety. The program is set up like a game show, complete with a full production set, mainstream music, an entertaining host and informative and engaging trivia that appeal to teens.

“This partnership is a reflection of our continued commitment to driver and passenger safety,” said Selim Hammoud, director Product Safety, Nissan North America. “Nissan has a vision of helping to eliminate teen accidents and fatalities by instilling safe driving habits in Michigan students with the ThinkFast® Interactive program – just one of many safety education initiatives in place to help reduce the number of auto-related injuries and fatalities.”

Teens at 15 high schools across Michigan will benefit from the educational program this school year.  The high schools are located in Barry, Calhoun, Chippewa, Delta, Grand Traverse, Ionia, Isabella, Kent, Lenawee, Mackinaw, Marquette, Oakland, Shiawassee and Tuscola counties.  This is the first time Nissan and the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning have worked together to support ThinkFast® Interactive in Michigan.

“The combination of inexperience and risk-taking behavior make teens more likely to be involved traffic crashes than their older counterparts,” said Michael L. Prince, OHSP director.  “I applaud Nissan for supporting opportunities to educate teens about safe driving, especially the dangers of distractions.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers in America, with teenagers being involved in three times as many fatal crashes as all other drivers. With support from initiatives such as Nissan’s ThinkFast program, the number of people killed in Michigan in a crash involving a driver age 16-20 has declined in the last 5 years from 174 in 2008, to 142 in 2012.

About Nissan North America
In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program and has been recognized as an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at www.NissanUSA.com and www.InfinitiUSA.com, or visit the Americas media sites NissanNews.com and InfinitiNews.com.

About Nissan
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan's second-largest automotive company, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, and is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 236,000 employees globally, Nissan sold more than 4.9 million vehicles and generated revenue of 9.6 trillion yen (USD 116.16 billion) in fiscal 2012. Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of over 60 models under the Nissan and Infiniti brands. In 2010, Nissan introduced the Nissan LEAF, and continues to lead in zero-emission mobility. The LEAF, the first mass-market, pure-electric vehicle launched globally, is now the best-selling EV in history.

For more information on our products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit our website at http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/.

About The Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning
The Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP) is Michigan's designated State Highway Safety Office.  OHSP administers state and federal highway safety-related grant programs, including the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s State and Community Grant Program, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Enforcement of Underage Drinking Laws Program, the Michigan Truck Safety Fund, and Michigan’s Secondary Road Patrol and Accident Prevention Program. 

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Contacts

Wendy Payne
Nissan Corporate Communications
Nissan Technical Center North America
(248) 488-4227
wendy.payne@nissan-usa.com

Melody Kindraka
Communications Coordinator
Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning
P.O. Box 30634 Lansing, MI 48909
(517) 241-1522
kindrakam@michigan.gov