The campaign drives to distract accidents which involve 738 tire-related deaths each year
In 2018, Michelin partnered with Vans and made limited-edition Michelin-inspired shoes that challenged teens to prove their #StreetTread. It was a successful step that inspired many teens to know how to check the tire’s tread. The campaign fitted 100 winners with Vans limited-edition sneakers. Michelin is proud of that work, but there is still more work done needed to drive awareness about this important topic.
This year, Michelin is offering teen drivers the chance to win a free ride to college, they just have to check their car’s tire pressure of tread depth and share on social media.
Where this awareness program came from?
Well, it’s rooted in the Beyond the Driving Test Program, first introduced in 2014 in partnership with Federation Internationale de I’Automobile (FIA). The program set a goal of gaining commitments from all 50 U.S. states to include consistent information about tire safety in new driver training materials. That milestone was reached in 2017, more than two years ahead of plan. Currently, 38 states include life-saving tire-safety information in their training materials for new drivers.
So in this new phase of it’s Beyond the Driving Test Program, Michelin aims to meet teens driving awareness and will give teen drivers and their parents a #PennyForAFreeRide, teaching them about a serious safety threat and encouraging them to act.
Why get with the program?
Teenagers face a lot of real concerns on a daily basis and the pressure of going to college is high on the list. Hopefully, safe tire pressure and tread depth are not.
According to an analysis by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Car crashes remain the No. 1 killer of teens in America, involves 738 tire-related deaths occur each year. 457 distracted cell phone deaths occur annually, according to 2016 federal data. NHTSA estimates 2.2 million accidents each year involving teen drivers and nearly 300,000 are related to tire issues like worn treads and over- or under-inflated tires.
“The statistics are startling – we need to do everything we can to keep our teen drivers safe,” said Alexis Garcin, chairman and president of Michelin North America, Inc. “At Michelin, we know tires need pressure, not teens. Our goal is to encourage teens to take life-saving action that helps them secure a safe future.”
Drive safe to future
How about to give one lucky teen a free ride to college? During the next year, Michelin encourages teen drivers with both – ensuring teens and their families take the necessary actions to stay safe on the road.
The #PennyForAFreeRide campaign was developed to help young drivers pursue their dreams and remind them to practice safe driving habits.
How to enter?
For the chance to win, teen drivers should:
- Take a photo or video of doing the “Penny Tread Test” or checking tire pressure.
- Post the image on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook, mentioning @MichelinUSA and using #PennyForAFreeRide or upload an entry on our website.
When someone submits a #PennyForAFreeRide post on social media, as an incentive Michelin will contribute a penny to a “pocket change” fund. The collected fund will provide the grand prize winner some extra cash for school. It’s a “fun money” contribution.
