THE MID-OHIO SCHOOL AND KEYBANK OFFER FREE 'KEY TO SAFE TEEN DRIVING' AT HILLIARD DAVIDSON HIGH SCHOOL

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Jesse Ghiorzi, 614.793.4620, jghiorzi@midohio.com

                Dan Davis, 216.299.2194, dan_p_davis@keybank.com 

 

 

THE MID-OHIO SCHOOL AND KEYBANK OFFER FREE 

'KEY TO SAFE TEEN DRIVING' AT HILLIARD DAVIDSON HIGH SCHOOL

 

 

COLUMBUS, OH (July 16, 2009) - KeyBank and The Mid-Ohio School, with support
from Kumho Tires, will be at Hilliard Davidson High School on July 30 for
the KeyBank "Key to Safe Teen Driving," a free program for teens who have a
temporary learner's permit or a driver's license.

 

The event will offer a condensed version of The Mid-Ohio School's popular
Honda Teen Defensive Driving Program. Up to 100 students will receive
classroom instruction and the chance to practice wet braking and emergency
lane change maneuvers in their own vehicles under the watchful eyes of The
Mid-Ohio School's expert instructors. The highlight of the day for students
will be driving the Honda Skid Car, which simulates driving in adverse
conditions. Students will also get hands-on experience about the dangers of
"distracted driving," such as driving while texting or talking on a cell
phone.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers, and the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates the
economic impact of auto accidents involving 15-20 year old drivers is over
$40 billion. 

"The average 16-year-old soccer player has had nearly 1,500 hours of
coaching, while the average 16-year-old driver has had only about 50 hours
of driver training," said Robert Lane, president of KeyBank's Central Ohio
District. "Key is partnering with The Mid-Ohio School to give teen drivers
additional driving skills they aren't taught in regular driver training
programs. Our goal is to help make the roads safer for drivers of all ages."

 

"We are proud to partner with KeyBank and Kumho Tires to bring the Honda
Teen Defensive Driving Program literally to the backyard of these young
drivers from Central Ohio," said Michelle Trueman Gajoch, president of
TrueSports, Inc., owner and operator of The Mid-Ohio School.  "The skills
taught in the Honda Teen Defensive Driving Program act as preventive
medicine for the inexperienced driver.  It is gratifying to have KeyBank
join us in taking a pro-active stance on The Mid-Ohio School's mission of
teaching young drivers these life-saving skills."

 

The free program on July 30 will be held in the Hilliard Davidson High
School parking lot adjacent to Avery Rd. Participants will be divided into
four groups, with check-in for the first 25 students starting at 7:30 a.m.
at the Kumho Tires transporter. Each group will take approximately three
hours to complete the program. Participants will receive lunch,
refreshments, a goodie bag and the opportunity to win a gift certificate to
the Mid-Ohio School and other prizes. 

 

Participants must register in advance online at www.midohioschool.com
<http://www.midohioschool.com/>  (click on "enroll now" at the top of the
page). The KeyBank Program can be found under the list of Defensive Driving
Programs. Parents are welcome to attend and can call 877-793-8667 with any
questions. 

 

The Mid-Ohio School provides professional driving and riding instruction to
drivers and motorcyclists of all skill levels.  The school's 15 automobile
courses include Defensive Driving, High Performance and Racing. The
motorcycle side features five Performance Track Riding formats.  Students
enjoy classroom sessions, skill drills, expert private instruction and
lapping on the same track that challenges the world's top racers.  In 16
seasons, The Mid-Ohio School has 31,500 graduates, including 10,500
teenagers.  For more information, visit www.midohioschool.com
<http://www.midohioschool.com/_> .

 

Cleveland-based KeyCorp is one of the nation's largest bank-based financial
services companies, with assets of approximately $98 billion. BusinessWeek
Magazine named Key the top bank in its Customer Service Champ 2009 edition,
ranking Key 11th out of the top-25 companies that include many known for
their customer service acumen. Key companies provide investment management,
retail and commercial banking, consumer finance, and investment banking
products and services to individuals and companies throughout the United
States and, for certain businesses, internationally. For more information,
visit https://www.key.com/.

 

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