Repair shops and technicians may soon be seeing new
faces walk through their doors. A recent survey
commissioned by
Honeywell Friction Materials, maker
of
Bendix Brakes, has lead the company
to launch a national consumer initiative aimed at
educating young drivers and their parents about
proper vehicle care and maintenance.
According to the survey, 30 percent of parents
reported that their teen driver experienced a
roadside breakdown behind the wheel of their own
car by the time they reached 19. These results
suggest teenagers lack a basic understanding of
auto maintenance that could lead to increased
vehicle breakdowns and even more serious
accidents.
“Bendix Brakes for Teen Safety” is a social media
campaign aimed at educating teens and their parents
about proper vehicle care to keep them safe on the
roads. This digital program launched in October to
coincide with National Teen Driver Safety Week. It
includes a series of online videos and a designated
Facebook page that offers relevant tips and safety
information, enabling teens and parents to post
their own questions and advice.
The first two videos, “What Teens Don’t Know About
Car Safety” and “The Top Five Car Care Tips for
Teens,” address the importance of regularly
checking and changing brakes and other components,
and highlight proper vehicle maintenance habits for
safe driving. They can be found on the brand’s
YouTube channel and on the campaign’s Facebook
page.
When it came to communicating with their teen
drivers, only slightly more than half of
respondents (56%) said they have discussed the
importance of brakes maintenance, or how to check
for tire pressure and tread wear (60%). They most
frequently communicated about the importance of
keeping gas in the vehicle (83%) and scheduling
regular oil changes (75%). Nearly a quarter of
parents (24%) didn’t know when a brake procedure or
inspection had been done on their teen’s
car.
“Safety features, like braking systems, play an
integral role in helping to keep drivers safe, but
they also require proper care and maintenance to
function properly,” said Shannon Lara, Senior
Manager, Marketing Communications, Honeywell
Friction Materials. “Our goal with Bendix Brakes for Teen Safety is to
ensure that all teens are driving safe vehicles for
their everyday commutes, and that parents are
equipped with the knowledge to help inform and
educate them properly.”
Overall, the campaign will create awareness among
teens and help enforce both safe driving and normal
maintenance habits, in turn driving traffic to the
aftermarket industry’s repair shops and bays. And,
this issue of proper vehicle maintenance is
important given that the survey results show
today’s teen girls are driving a vehicle that is an
average of 8.4 years old; and 11.3 years old for
teen boys. Of those cars, one quarter were rated by
parents as being in either fair or poor
condition.
The online survey was conducted in August by Harris
Interactive among 500 parents of teen drivers age
15 to 19 who have their own car.
For more information on the program, distributors
and repair shops can contact their local Honeywell
Friction Materials sales representative, or visit
www.bendixbrakes.com or the
campaign’s Facebook page, which is regularly
updated with new tips and survey findings. For news
and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywellnow.com.
