Key to Safe Teen Driving Program Expanded

KeyBank, a Cleveland-based financial service company, today announced that it is expanding a free program aimed at offering teens better driving skills and raising awareness about the importance of driving training for young people.

The KeyBank program, dubbed Key to Safe Teen Driving, was held in four cities in Indiana and Ohio last summer, together with the Mid-Ohio School and Kumho Tire USA. For this year, the program is expanding to nine cities in Ohio and Indiana.

"Our mission at KeyBank is to help clients and communities thrive," said Tom Tulodzieski, president of KeyBank's Great Lakes Region. "This program helps teens thrive by teaching them driving skills that aren't taught in regular driver training programs. While this program will touch nearly 1700 teen drivers, its impact can be much greater by raising awareness about the importance of proper training for young drivers."

The initiative offers a condensed version of the The Mid-Ohio School's Honda Teen Defensive Driving Program. This means that 120 students at each events will benefit from theoretical training, practice wet braking and emergency lance changes, as well as get behind the wheel of the Honda Civic Skid Car, which simulates slick driving conditions.

"This important program has tremendous impact on so many people," said Craig Rust, president of The Mid-Ohio School. "I am thrilled that we are able to work so closely with KeyBank and Kumho Tire to expand the program in 2011. The skills that participants learn will last a lifetime and truly help save lives."