Chevrolet and MetLife Auto and Home are co-sponsoring a program to improve driver education in America by assisting Top Driver, a New York-based driver training and information company.
Chevrolet will provide cars for Top Driver, which is starting a national chain of one-stop, driver-education resource centers.
Citing research from the American Motor Vehicle Association, John Kelley, Chevrolet’s director of marketing services, said 94 percent of all fatal crashes and more than $170 billion in losses annually are the result of driver error.
“At Chevrolet and General Motors, we believe there is a large untapped opportunity to improve driver skills as the next frontier in automotive safety,” he said.
Top Driver is testing driver education centers in major malls nationwide, with the goal of opening 200 stores in five years.
Chevrolet will be the lead partner, and its vehicles will be used for the on-road training and displays in each center.
The Chevy sponsorship allows GMAC Financial Services and GM OnStar, an in-vehicle communication service, to be featured in each Top Driver education center via interactive kiosks.
At the end of an 18-month test, Chevy will be able to extend its partnership for 10 years.
“Our association with Top Driver offers Chevrolet an excellent avenue to speak with young, first-time buyers as well as seniors who may need to polish and fine-tune their driving habits,” said Kelley.
Top Driver offers more than a dozen courses and includes materials from many leading safety organizations, including the National Safety Council, AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, American Driver Training Safety Education Association and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Top Driver’s curriculum integrates touch screen computer training with on-road coaching. Students are grouped according to their driving experience.
