POWERFUL PUPPET SHOW TEACHES TEENAGERS TOUGH ROAD SAFETY LESSONS
Stoke-on-Trent – November 7, 2012
School children in Swindon have been confronted with harsh truths about road deaths as part of a unique life-sized puppet show organised by Michelin and supported by fleet management company, Arval.
The powerful Theatre in Education Show, ‘Routes – The Teenage Highway Code’, performed by puppeteer Steve Wright, highlights the importance of young drivers taking responsibility for their own actions, the dangers of peer pressure, and how individuals can become positive role models to their friends.
Michelin first presented the show to pupils and young drivers at 15 schools near its UK headquarters in Staffordshire, but the tyre manufacturer is very keen to partner with other organisations to roll it out across the UK.
As a result, Michelin’s Head of Fleet Dave Crinson approached members of Michelin’s Fleet Panel, who represent some of the UK’s largest leasing and fleet management companies, and as part of its ongoing Corporate Social Responsibility work, Arval arranged for the show to be presented to over-16s at Swindon College and Royal Wootton Bassett Academy.
Arval’s Fleet and Road Safety Manager, Tracey Scarr, said: “When Michelin presented the puppet show to us we were very impressed. The puppeteer tackles key messages in an edgy and memorable way which teenagers will relate to and will hopefully make them think about their own driving habits.”
After the performance, one tutor from Royal Wootton Bassett Academy said: “The pupils could really relate to the characters in the films and particularly the puppets, which brought a sense of humour to the presentation.”
Due to the success of the event, Arval is currently planning to deliver more shows to Swindon and Wiltshire colleges during Road Safety Week at the end of November.
Michelin’s Key Account Manager for Arval, Paul Brady, said: “The puppet show is a refreshing and powerful way to encourage the future generation of drivers to be safe on Britain’s roads and it is encouraging to see that fleets such as Arval are so keen to be involved with this initiative.
“A worrying statistic revealed to the students in the show is that being a passenger in a car is the most common cause of death for females aged between 16 and 24 in the UK. That is a shocking fact and highlights the importance of educating young drivers about road safety.”
If you are interested in working with Michelin to promote road safety to young people please contact Corinne Li on 01782 402371 or email corinne.li@uk.michelin.com
ends
Michelin (www.michelin.co.uk)
Dedicated to the improvement of sustainable mobility, Michelin designs, manufactures and sells tyres for every type of vehicle, including aircraft, bicycles, cars, earthmoving machines, farm equipment, trucks and motorcycles. Michelin employs 115,000 people, has sales organisations in more than 170 countries and operates 69 production sites in 18 countries throughout five continents. The Company also publishes travel guides, hotel and restaurant guides, maps and road atlases and offers electronic mobility support services on ViaMichelin.com. Research and development is undertaken in technology centres in Asia, Europe and North America.
Arval UK (www.arval.co.uk)
Arval UK, part of the Arval Group, is a leader in the provision of vehicle funding and fleet management solutions. Owned by BNP Paribas, with substantial buying power, we have 40 years of industry experience. Focused on service quality, Arval UK is a people-led company, with specialist teams dedicated to businesses from start-ups to FTSE 100 companies. Arval is investing significantly in technology to improve fleet efficiency and has a comprehensive range of products and services covering funding solutions including contract hire, vehicle maintenance, fuel management, accident management, breakdown recovery, short term hire, full outsourcing and consultancy services.
For further press information please contact:
Paul Cordle, Michelin Press Office
Tel: + 44 (0) 1782 402341 Email: paul-m.cordle@uk.michelin.com
Lucy Harvey or James Keeler at Garnett Keeler PR, Inver House, 37-39 Pound Street,
Carshalton, Surrey, SM5 3PG
Tel: +44 (0)20 8647 4467 Fax: +44 (0)20 8544 4711 E-mail: lucy.harvey@garnettkeeler.com
MICHF/068/12
Tags:
