Michelin launches its Best Driver programme in Brazil
In 2011, Michelin and the FIA signed a partnership agreement which fostered the international Golden Rules campaign as part of the FIA Action for Road Safety. The campaign illustrated the special relationship between driver and vehicle – a combination of pleasure and responsible behaviour. It further outlined the key safety rules – the 10 Golden Rules – that everyone should know.
Building on the relationship with FIA, and with early consultation from GRSP, Michelin in August launched their Best Driver programme in Brazil aimed at educating university students on safer driving behaviour. Data in Brazil shows that young drivers are the most at risk driver group and that largely, driver behaviour is the root cause of traffic crashes resulting in deaths and injuries.
The Michelin Best Driver programme will visit 15 universities in 8 cities with a travelling caravan of hi-tech and interactive driver training and testing equipment. The programme then takes training a step beyond by inviting students to enroll in a programme of in-car telemetry monitoring of their driving over a period of one month. The telemetry equipment monitors acceleration, braking, left and right turns, turning with acceleration, turning with braking, lane changes, overtaking curves and more. The data collected will give an accurate picture of the driver’s behaviour and can be monitored by the student through the Michelin Best Driver website over the course of the month.
The 15 safest drivers will compete in a final round to be held at the Interlagos circuit at Le Mans Sao Paulo after which the winner will be declared, receiving a prize of a new Peugeot 208.
This is most certainly an innovative and well targetted initiative and we will follow its progress with keen interest.
