Proton Gets Behind Australia's Newest Driver Training Facility

MARULAN, AUSTRALIA – February 27, 2009: Proton will play a key role at Australia's newest driver training centre, the Marulan Driver Training Centre 90 minutes south of Sydney.

The new multi million-dollar centre was officially opened this week by Federal shadow parliamentary secretary Don Randall MP, who took the chance to lap the new training track at the wheel of a Proton Satria Neo.

Mr Randall was flagged away by local federal member for Hume, Albie Schultz for a lap around the rain soaked track in the new Proton Satria Neo.

The track was built and financed by former car racer and circuit manager Garry Willmington who has spent the last 15 years bringing his dream of a properly designed and resourced driver training facility to reality.

Proton will be the vehicle supplier for Safe Drive Training, the company tasked with running courses at the new Marulan centre, particularly for young drivers.

Mr Randall praised the involvement of Proton in supporting the quest to better train our young drivers for the challenges that confront them on the roads today.

"Without the help of companies such as this the task of completing this vital training for our young drivers would be almost impossible, the community needs to have the involvement of corporations to help reduce the appalling accident rate amongst younger motorists," said Mr Randall.

"Drivers under 25 accounted for almost a third of the 1400 people killed on Australian roads last year and that is way too high, these people are the future of our nation and we have to reduce this tragic statistic," he added.

The new facility includes a one kilometre handling circuit which incorporates a variety of different turns and challenges along with a sprinkler equipped skid pan, dirt training track and class rooms. Future plans include the provision of four-wheel drive training tracks.

The new facility will host more than 2500 high school students each year from schools located within two hours of Marulan. This will mean students from South West Sydney, Canberra, Goulburn and Wollongong.

Students will be bussed in for both the Safe Drive Test Drive program and Physics in Motion science program.

The Safe Drive Test Drive targets the four fatal factors for novice drivers, over confidence, in experience, risk taking and peer influence and is open to year 11 and 12 students with at least a learners permit as a qualification.

The Physics in Motion program provides physics students with a unique opportunity to see first hand the laws of physics in action whilst also addressing key road safety subject outcomes and is open to year 10, 11 and 12 students.

According to Proton Cars Australia managing director John Startari, Proton is proud to be involved with the new Marulan Driver Training Centre and Safe Drive Training's school based driver-training program.

"Proton has been involved with Safe Drive Training for more than a decade and is committed to helping train young Australians to be better and safer drivers," said Mr Startari.

"In the time Proton has been involved with Safe Drive Training more than 30,000 school students have received driver training and we are looking forward to being involved with the new Marulan Driver Training Centre.

Safe Drive Training principal Joel Nielsen says the involvement of Proton will be vital to the work his company is doing with young drivers.

This is an exciting new facility that will be an important addition to the driver training industry in NSW, particularly given the imminent closure of Oran Park, the constant demands on Eastern Creek and Wakefield Park and the heavy schedule for Canberra's driver training facility" said Joel Nielsen.

"Proton has been a close partner with us over the past 11 years and we look forward to having them involved with our programs at Marulan where the supply of Protons will allow us to give young drivers the chance to get behind the wheel and be taught some important and valuable lessons," he said.