Fowlerville Proving Ground to Provide Special Drivers Training Program for Local Students

Proving ground partners with Fowlerville High School to promote safe, smart driving

FOWLERVILLE, Mich., Oct. 22 -- A local Tier One automotive supplier is making it possible for Fowlerville High School students to take advantage of a program intended to help save lives through better driving.

FT Techno of America, an Aisin Holdings of America company, has partnered with the Tire Rack Street Survival School, a national program that teaches teens how to drive better and safer. The program will be held at FT Techno's 870-acre test track and proving ground in Handy Township on Sat., Oct. 24, from 8 am to 5 pm.

FT Techno, no stranger to lending a hand in the community, also hosts annual paramedic drivers training for the Livingston County EMS. Terry Takano, vice president, FT Techno, said partnering with Street Survival and Fowlerville High School in this new effort makes sense - especially now.

"Quite simply, we saw a need and felt strongly about helping out," said Takano. "Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among 13-19 year olds in the United States. And today drivers are more distracted than ever with increased cell phone use and texting. Day-to-day, our company is focused on improving safety and reliability through vehicle development; we see this training as a natural extension of our work," he said.

The Tire Rack Street Survival School is a national, teen safe driving program designed to go beyond driver's education and give young drivers in communities around the United States the hands-on experience and tools to become safer, smarter drivers. FT Techno reached out to the organization and invited it to the community. FT Techno will underwrite the program so there is no cost to students or the high school.

The one-day program is a mix of classroom and hands-on exercises with an instructor in the vehicle with the student. In the classroom students learn about proper seating and hand positions, mirror placement, the concept of the contact patch with the tires, theories of weight transfer, and the use of long distance vision and situational awareness.

On the course, Takano said, students will have a chance to experience real life situations in a safe environment, learning skid control on a wet skid pad; lane changes/ accident avoidance maneuvers; and braking exercises. Students will also drive a slalom course to learn about vehicle weight transfer.

Training will be provided in partnership by instructors of the Tire Rack Street Survival School and FT Techno professional drivers. The use of the proving ground provides the advantage of a large, controlled facility that was designed with driver safety as the highest priority. Some instruction will occur on the state-of-the-art low friction tile surfaces simulating the slippery, winter conditions, and the effect they have on braking, acceleration, and vehicle stability.

"Aisin companies are extremely committed to their communities," added Takano. "It's a value we share at our facilities around the world, and being a 'good neighbor' is important for all of us. Helping young drivers in our community develop the tools they need to be safer and more responsible behind the wheel is simply the right thing to do."

Takano added that the proving ground experience will introduce students to the world of automotive development and engineering.

"We're hoping to help produce a few engineers," he said. "Maybe they'll be back here in a few years looking for career opportunities."

Aisin Holdings of America, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Aisin Group, a $22 billion company headed by Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd., Aichi, Japan. The Aisin Group is a worldwide, Tier One supplier of automotive components, such as brakes, transmissions, drivetrain, chassis, body and information-related/navigation systems, and engine-related parts. Worldwide, Aisin has 164 consolidated companies and employs 73,000 people. In North America, Aisin Group companies include 28 manufacturing, R & D and sales centers, and approximately 8,000 employees.