In recognition of Distracted Driving Awareness Month this April and ahead of prom and graduation season for many high schoolers, Heritage | MileOne Autogroup and MileOneCares, in partnership with DRIVE SMART Virginia, have brought the nonprofit’s distracted driving program to high school students at two Baltimore-area high schools.
“We are approaching the most dangerous time of year for teen drivers, which is why it’s more important than ever to invest in organizations like DRIVE SMART that are dedicated to comprehensive education programing around distracted driving,” said MileOne Autogroup’s Chief Giving Officer, Amanda Kodeck. “In partnership with DRIVE SMART, MileOne is excited to bring these important safety initiatives to the Baltimore community.”
To educate the teens on the impacts of distracted driving and poor driver behavior, representatives of Heritage | MileOne Autogroup, MileOneCares, and DRIVE SMART visited with 10th and 11th graders at The Park School of Baltimore and 11th and 12th graders at Pikesville High School this week. During each visit, students participated in a virtual reality texting and driving simulator and impaired driving cart course.
“We have heard directly from teens that in order to best educate them on risky driving behaviors, they need to experience them firsthand,” said Janet Brooking, Executive Director of DRIVE SMART Virginia. “This interactive educational program was built with that in mind. We are thankful to Heritage | MileOne Autogroup for helping to bring this program to Baltimore area schools.”
“This program gave students a hands-on experience to learn how driving while distracted and drunk driving can pose risks to their safety and that of others. It was incredible to watch students engage in each simulated activity and afterward make comments such as, “Wow, I had no idea texting could make you drive you like that” or “It’s so hard to not drive off the road!”” said Allison Ewing, The Park School of Baltimore’s Upper School Dean of Students. “It is our hope that this experience will support important messages that students receive from our parent community and other sources about the hazards of texting while driving and getting behind the wheel if under the influence. It’s not just about personal safety, it’s about everyone’s safety and we loved how responsive our students were to taking their responsibilities as young drivers seriously.”
This safety initiative is made possible by MileOneCares, the corporate giving program of Heritage, a division of MileOne Autogroup, which primarily focuses on transportation-related initiatives and strengthening the communities in which MileOne Autogroup dealerships are located. This partnership with the Virginia-based nonprofit comes on the heels of the success of Hall | MileOne Autogroup and MileOneCare’s 2021 partnership with DRIVE SMART at high schools in Virginia Beach, VA.
About MileOneCares
In 2022, MileOne Autogroup launched MileOneCares, its corporate giving program encompassing all philanthropic efforts across the company’s franchises in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and North Carolina as part of its Hall, Heritage, Herb Gordon, Annapolis and MotorWorld divisions. Since MileOne’s founding in 1997, the company has donated funds, volunteer hours and vehicles to hundreds of nonprofit organizations throughout the communities where its employees work and live. Under MileOneCares, the company primarily focuses its philanthropic outreach on transportation-related initiatives. MileOneCares also supports the company’s 3,800 employees through the NextMile Scholarship Program; the MileOne Support Fund, which provides financial assistance in times of disaster or emergency hardship; in addition to an employee-nominated grant program, in which employees can apply for funds to support causes to which they are personally connected. For more information on the program, visit www.mileonecares.com.
About MileOne Autogroup
MileOne Autogroup represents 75 franchises with 24 automotive brands along with 54 Service Centers in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and North Carolina as part of the Hall, Heritage, Herb Gordon, Annapolis and MotorWorld divisions. The MileOne Autogroup model provides for all of the automotive needs of its customers conveniently, on their own terms. MileOne Autogroup is the largest automotive sales and service delivery network in the Mid-Atlantic area. For more information on MileOne, visit www.mileone.com.
About DRIVE SMART Virginia
DRIVE SMART Virginia is a nonprofit organization charged with raising awareness and changing driver behavior in order to improve the safety of the roadways of the Commonwealth. The organization works to improve the lives of all Virginians through our public information and education initiatives. Founded in 1995, the organization is led by a diverse board representing safety advocates, the insurance industry and law enforcement, among others. Its mission is advanced by fostering community partnerships, creating educational campaigns, designing and distributing educational materials, making presentations, attending outreach events, and advocating for traffic safety initiatives. Learn more about DRIVE SMART Virginia by visiting www.drivesmartva.org.
Article originally in CityBiz.