Jun 9, 2008

Driver Education Program Expands

Advance Auto Parts has announced the expansion of its Driver Education Teacher Program, “Advance Your Knowledge,” which is a tool for driver education teachers. Currently, seven states -- Virginia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Illinois, Michigan, Texas and Florida -- are using the program, which has reached more than 700,000 students, statewide. The “Advance Your Knowledge” course is free to all state-affiliated driver education programs, with replenishment support available via a dedicated program Web site.

“Today’s vehicles are complex,” said Bryan Gregory, director of consumer education for Advance Auto Parts. “Our multimedia kit is designed to help instructors help their students understand vehicle basics, especially as they relate to their personal driving safety. Our commitment is to help teachers impart vehicle and safety information most relevant to young drivers and ensure parents that their new driver will be getting the best driver education possible -- that is why we developed this program.”

After a two-year pilot, feedback about the program was extremely positive from both teachers and students, prompting the expansion of the effort. Students said that the kit made learning about their vehicles a lot more enjoyable and took some of the fear out of flat tires and oil changes. Teachers applauded the multimedia kit, saying the guidelines and tools made it easier to teach. The complete “Advance Your Knowledge” kit includes a DVD loaded with short how-to videos, 29 project brochures and online replenishment information for instructors. The goal of the initiative is to help young drivers understand the gap between undone maintenance and driving safety while taking the mystery out of today’s vehicles.