Nissan Recognized with Lifesaver Award for Teen Driver Safety Education Efforts

FRANKLIN, Tenn. – As teen driving fatalities near a 10-year low in Tennessee, Nissan was today honored with the 2012 Lifesaver Award by the state's Governors Highway Safety Office (GHSO) for its support of teen driving safety initiatives. Teen fatalities have steadily declined from 169 in 2006 to 83 in 2011, according to the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security.  

Nissan recently partnered with the GHSO to engage teens about the importance of avoiding distracted driving, and other harmful behaviors behind the wheel through the ThinkFast education program. 

ThinkFast 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.
Historically, TN GHSO has been able to offer ThinkFast to 35 to 40 schools in the state starting with those that have the highest fatalities among teen drivers. With Nissan's support, the number of ThinkFast events has grown to more than 110 Tennessee middle and high schools across the state in 2012. 

The Lifesaver Award is given annually to recognize the efforts of individuals or organizations that make significant contributions to traffic safety in their communities and that demonstrate a commitment to ensuring safe driving behaviors.

"Nissan was selected as a recipient this year due to their outstanding efforts in a public/private partnership to enhance the teen driving experience across Tennessee through the ThinkFast program. The spirit in which Nissan has helped us attack the problems of teen driving exhibits the best in corporate sponsorship. We are proud to recognize Nissan for their outstanding efforts," said Kendell Poole, director, Tennessee GHSO.

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.

"Nissan is pleased to be the Tennessee GHSO's partner in this important safety education initiative and to receive the 2012 Lifesaver Award as a reflection of our continued commitment to driver and passenger safety," said Bob Yakushi, director, Nissan product safety. "Nissan has a vision of eliminating teen accidents and fatalities by instilling safe driving habits in Tennessee students with the ThinkFast program – just one of many safety education initiatives in place to help reduce the number of auto-related injuries and fatalities."

About the Tennessee Governor's Highway Safety Office
The Tennessee Governor's Highway Safety Office is a division of the Tennessee Department of Transportation, and is funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Our vision at the Governor's Highway Safety Office is to have all highway users arrive at their destination and to establish a time when there will be no loss of life on Tennessee's roadways. Our mission is to save lives and reduce injuries on Tennessee roads through leadership, innovation, coordination, and program support in partnership with other public and private organizations. In order to accomplish this mission, the Governor's Highway Safety Office has developed an action plan that addresses the behavioral aspects of highway safety; that is, activities that affect the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of highway users and safety professionals. For the past four years, Tennessee has been able to reduce traffic fatalities by more than 25%, reaching the goals set forth by the State Strategic Highway Safety Plan. Our long-range goal is to reduce the number of traffic fatalities to 900 or less by the end of 2012. More information about Tennessee's Governor's Highway Safety Office can be found online at http://www.tdot.state.tn.us./ghso/ and http://www.tntrafficsafety.org.

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, and 2012 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 248,000 employees globally, Nissan provided customers with more than 4.8 million vehicles in 2011, generating revenue of 9.4 trillion yen ($118.95 billion US). With a strong commitment to developing exciting and innovative products for all, Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of 64 models under the Nissan and Infiniti brands. A pioneer in zero-emission mobility, Nissan made history with the introduction of the Nissan LEAF, the first affordable, mass-market, pure-electric vehicle and winner of numerous international accolades, including the prestigious 2011-2012 Car of the Year Japan and 2011 World Car of the Year awards.

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

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Contacts:
Justin P. Saia
Nissan North America, Inc.
Corporate Communications
615-725-3061
Justin.Saia@nissan-usa.com