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"Mopar Road Ready Powered by Dodge" Teen Defensive-driving Program Returns for 2016


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AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Feb. 22, 2016 --

  • Schedule announced for 2016 "Mopar Road Ready Powered by Dodge" program
  • Slate of five two-day events will visit Indiana, New Jersey, Michigan and Florida
  • Each two-day event features four available safe driving sessions
  • "Mopar Road Ready Powered by Dodge" trained more than 1,300 teens and parents in 2015
  • "Mopar Miles" Bear charitable initiative to continue mission of keeping teens safe behind the wheel
  • Registration for 2016 events available at www.mopar.com/road-ready/register

The Mopar and Dodge brands are teaming up once again to help teach teens about the importance of being safe on the road. The popular "Mopar Road Ready Powered by Dodge" teen defensive-driving program will return in 2016, with five two-day events scheduled at four different locations in the United States.

The early 2016 slate of "Mopar Road Ready Powered by Dodge" events will visit Indianapolis, Indiana, April 9-10; Englishtown, New Jersey, April 23-24; two stops at Center Line, Michigan, in Metro Detroit, April 30-May 1 and May 14-15; and Sarasota, Florida, May 21-22.

"We are excited to continue the 'Mopar Road Ready Powered by Dodge' program in 2016 and to assist in training even more teens on the skills they need to stay safe behind the wheel," said Pietro Gorlier, Head of Parts and Service (Mopar), FCA – Global. "By teaming up with the Dodge brand and through sponsorship from the FCA Foundation, we are empowering new drivers with education and experience that will last a lifetime."

"The Dodge brand wants all drivers to experience that visceral feeling that makes them fall in love with driving, and that includes making sure they feel comfortable in all driving situations," said Tim Kuniskis, Head of Passenger Car Brands – Dodge, SRT, Chrysler and FIAT, FCA – North America. "The 'Mopar Road Ready Powered by Dodge' program gives new teen drivers the opportunity to learn important driving skills, gain valuable experience behind the wheel and fall in love with driving in the process."

"Mopar Road Ready Powered by Dodge" is sponsored by the FCA Foundation, in collaboration with the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Motorsports Museum and B.R.A.K.E.S. (Be Responsible And Keep Everyone Safe), two nationally recognized non-profit 501(c)3 organizations that share similar missions of promoting the importance of safe and responsible driving.

The advanced driving program, designed to teach safe and defensive driving techniques, is available to teens between the ages of 15-19 with a learner's or driver's license and at least 30 hours of driving experience. Participants will benefit from a proven curriculum and skilled high-caliber instructors provided by the B.R.A.K.E.S. organization. It incorporates both classroom education and hands-on training with a 3:1 student-to-instructor ratio, allowing for quality time with each teen.

Each teen driver's participation in the training program will include a companion experience for a parent or adult guardian who also will actively take part. "Mopar Road Ready Powered by Dodge" sessions provide a brief classroom review of core driving topics, including proper seat positioning, hand positioning and basic vehicle dynamics. Advanced behind-the-wheel training will then be provided to teens with on-track course sessions, including accident avoidance (slalom), distraction, panic stop, wheel drop and wet skid pad.

"Mopar Road Ready Powered by Dodge" classes are free of charge to registered teens and their parents or guardians. A $99 refundable registration deposit is required to secure a spot and is returned after the session or can be donated to the B.R.A.K.E.S. organization to help support the continuation and growth of the program.

To register your teen for a 2016 "Mopar Road Ready Powered by Dodge" event, visit www.mopar.com/road-ready/register.

For more information on the NHRA Motorsports Museum and B.R.A.K.E.S., visit www.nhra.com or www.putonthebrakes.org. 

"Mopar Miles" Bear Charitable Initiative Continues
For the "Mopar Miles" Bear, hibernation is not an option, at least not when there are teens that still need to be educated on the importance of driver safety. In 2016, the Mopar brand will continue its charitable mission to keep teenagers safe on the road by donating a portion of proceeds to the B.R.A.K.E.S. teen driving school for every plush "Mopar Miles" Bear sold.

Participants in "Mopar Road Ready Powered by Dodge" events will have the opportunity to win a "Mopar Miles" Bear, and "Mopar Miles" will also be available for purchase at local FCA US dealerships or for order via www.wearmopar.com. 

About the FCA Foundation
Since 1953, the FCA Foundation, the charitable arm of FCA US LLC, has invested more than $500 million in charitable organizations and initiatives that help empower people and build strong, viable communities. The FCA Foundation invests in programs that generate meaningful and measurable societal impacts in the following areas:

Education – programs that inspire young minds, particularly in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM)
Military – programs that support financial and basic needs of military service members, veterans and their families
Multicultural/Diversity – programs that promote inclusion and opportunity for diverse populations
Youth Development – programs that help young people develop the skills and leadership qualities to succeed in school, at work and in life

Additionally, FCA US seeks opportunities to support communities through its Motor Citizens® volunteer program. This innovative program enables FCA US salaried employees to use 18 hours of paid time each year to be an Engine for Change by investing their time and talents in community service projects.

About Dodge Brand
The Dodge brand is America's mainstream performance brand. With the purification of the brand and consolidation with SRT, Dodge is getting back to its performance roots with every single model it offers. The Dodge and SRT brands offer a complete lineup of performance vehicles that stand out within their own segments. Dodge is the "mainstream performance" brand, and SRT is positioned as the "ultimate performance" halo of the Dodge brand, together creating a complete and balanced performance brand with one vision and one voice.

From muscle cars to compact cars, minivans, crossovers and full-size SUVs, the Dodge brand's full lineup of 2015 models delivers best-in-class horsepower, class-exclusive technology, unmatched capability and a slew of cool features, such as LED headlamps, Dodge signature racetrack taillamps, dual exhaust, 8.4-inch touchscreen infotainment centers and 7-inch thin-film transistor (TFT) customizable gauge clusters, to name a few. For the 2015 model year, customers will be able to drive the new 2015 Dodge Charger and Challenger, as well as the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and Charger SRT Hellcat. The Dodge brand lineup also includes the 2015 Dodge Dart, Durango, Grand Caravan and Journey, including the new Crossroad model, and its flagship, the Dodge Viper.

About Mopar Brand
Mopar (a simple contraction of the words MOtor and PARts) was trademarked in 1937 with the launch of an antifreeze product, but it truly made its mark in the 1960s during the muscle-car era. From Mopar Performance Parts to enhance speed and handling for both road and racing use, the brand soon expanded to include technical service and customer support.

Today, Mopar is FCA's service, parts and customer-care brand and distributes more than 500,000 parts and accessories in over 150 markets around the world. With more than 50 parts distribution centers and 27 customer-contact hubs globally, Mopar integrates service, parts and customer-care operations in order to enhance dealer and customer support worldwide. Mopar is the source for genuine parts and accessories for FCA brands.

Mopar parts are engineered together with the same teams that create factory-authorized specifications for FCA vehicles. This offers a direct connection that no other aftermarket parts company can provide. A complete list of Mopar accessories and performance parts is available at www.mopar.com.