As Americans gather at bars and in living rooms to watch the hugely popular college basketball tournament– often with a drink in hand– the Ad Council is launching a new series of public service advertisements (PSAs) for their ongoing “Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving” campaign. Impaired driving remains a persistent problem in the U.S., with over 10,000 people killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes in 2016, according to the Department of Transportation. That’s approximately one person every fifty minutes.
The new PSAs, which were produced pro bono by media agency OMD, encourage young men to examine their own behavior by amplifying social warning signs many already know and associate with impairment. Whether texting too many emojis or taking one too many selfies, these subtle “warning signs” are recognizable to the target audience and serve as cues not to drive home.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8288151-ad-council-buzzed-driving-warning-signs/
Vigilant Solutions, a global image recognition and analytics company serving sovereign nations, municipalities, and law enforcement agencies, announced today a new parking solution that leverages its license plate recognition technology and extensive vehicle location data to assist parking agencies and municipal parking units in enforcing policies, collecting outstanding fines and locating repeat violators.
Vigilant’s license plate recognition cameras and software have been trusted by law enforcement agencies throughout the U.S. and across the globe for more than a decade to identify and locate suspect vehicles and solve crimes faster. The company is now using this technology to develop a license plate-enabled parking (LEP) enforcement solution that, coupled with its expansive commercial data network, empowers parking enforcement to work more efficiently with local law enforcement to quickly address violations involving on-street spaces and off-street lots.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8134352-vigilant-solution-license-plate-recognition-parking-enforcement/
In a new round of evaluations, 5 of 7 small SUVs earn good ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for occupant protection in a passenger-side small overlap front crash.
The ratings bring to 16 the number of small SUVs the Institute has evaluated in the passenger-side small overlap front test, which was introduced in 2017 to encourage manufacturers to offer the same level of protection for front-seat passengers as drivers in this type of crash.
The BMW X1; Chevrolet Equinox and its twin, the GMC Terrain; Jeep Compass and Mitsubishi Outlander earn good ratings in the passenger-side small overlap front test. The Mitsubishi Outlander Sport earns a marginal rating, and the Ford Escape earns poor. For the 2018 model year, the Equinox shed weight to join the small SUV size class. Earlier models were classified as midsize.
None of the newly rated 2018 models earns better than acceptable marks for structure. (The Honda CR-V and Mazda CX-5 are the only small SUVs evaluated so far to earn good ratings for structure in the passenger-side small overlap front test.) The Outlander Sport is marginal, and the Escape is rated poor. Both the Outlander Sport and Escape allowed too much intrusion into the occupant compartment on the right side.
Today Toyota launches a national marketing campaign, titled “Serious Play,” for the all-new 2019 Avalon that dares drivers to experience adventure, spontaneity and playfulness, and reminds all that the thrill of driving is the real prize. The campaign drives home the notion that the completely redesigned Avalon has everything drivers need to get more out of life.
The all-new Toyota Avalon – designed, engineered and assembled in the U.S. – embodies consumers’ overarching desire for high-caliber, design-centric, technologically-savvy modes of attainable, premium transportation.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8352851-toyota-avalon-sedan-serious-play/
MINI TAKES THE STATES 2018 (MTTS), the eagerly anticipated road rally for MINI owners hosted by MINI USA, kicked off this weekend from two separate locations on opposite sides of the country. Over the next five days, thousands of MINI owners will #DriveForMore to help raise money for charity partner Feeding America.
The two rally routes, each with more than 800 participants, started in Orlando, Fla., and Portland, Ore., on Saturday, July 14, and will meet in the middle at Keystone Report in Keystone, Colo., on July 20 for a weekend celebration of everything MINI. The bi-annual trek will cover more than 5,000 miles in total, traveling across America on state and county roads, stopping in 15 cities along the way.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8329551-mini-takes-the-states-feeding-america-2018/
U.S. Xpress Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE: USX) ("U.S. Xpress" or the "Company"), a leading, national trucking company, today announced the launch of “Full Ride,” a college scholarship program for drivers and their families that is the first of its kind in the trucking industry.
The U.S. Xpress Full Ride scholarship program provides U.S. Xpress drivers the opportunity to earn a bachelor’s or master’s degree from an accredited school, Ashford University, at no cost in one of dozens of disciplines ranging from business and logistics to accounting or behavioral science. And, in a first for the trucking industry, children of U.S. Xpress truck drivers may earn their bachelor’s or master’s degrees from Ashford University as well, at no cost and courtesy of the company. Each driver may have a total of two family members enrolled in school at one time (either two dependents or the driver and one dependent). Dependents must be aged 17 to 26. The benefit will also be available to drivers working for Total Transportation of Mississippi, LLC, a subsidiary of U.S. Xpress Enterprises, Inc.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8386851-us-xpress-full-ride-scholarship-truck-drivers-dependents/
Just over half of 2018 model vehicles evaluated by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety are available with headlights that do an adequate job of lighting the road at night and limiting glare for oncoming drivers, but most good-rated headlights are optional or bundled with other features that can raise the price of the vehicle.
Since IIHS released its first headlight ratings for passenger vehicles in 2016, most manufacturers have focused on improving this key safety component. That year, only 2 of 95 headlight systems on 2016-model vehicles evaluated earned a good rating.
For the 2018 model year, the best-available headlights on 32 of 165 models evaluated earn the highest rating of good, and the best-available headlights on 58 models earn the second-highest rating of acceptable. Thirty-two models have only marginal-rated headlights, while poor-rated headlights are the only ones available for 43 models.
The new Niro EV opens a world of new possibilities for consumers who love crossover characteristics but also want all the benefits electric vehicles have to offer. Not only can they have all the functionality of a traditional crossover, but they can have it while happily driving past filling stations.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8246059-kia-2019-niro-ev-north-american-debut/
Nearly five dozen 2019 models meet stricter criteria to qualify for a 2019 TOP SAFETY PICK+ or TOP SAFETY PICK award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The 30 first-tier “plus” award winners earn the highest rating for passenger-side protection in a small overlap front crash and have good-rated available headlights, while the 27 winners of the second-tier award qualify with an acceptable or higher rating in the newest IIHS crash test and the nighttime headlight evaluation.
All 57 vehicles in this elite group earn good ratings in the Institute’s five other crashworthiness evaluations and have an available automatic emergency braking system that rates advanced or superior for front crash prevention.
IIHS now requires a good rating in the passenger-side small overlap front test to earn a 2019 TOP SAFETY PICK+ versus an acceptable or good rating for the 2018 award. An acceptable or good rating in the passenger-side test is a new criterion to earn a 2019 TOP SAFETY PICK.
This marks the sixth time that IIHS has raised the bar to earn the TOP SAFETY PICK+ award since introducing it in the 2013 model year to recognize vehicles that offer a superior level of safety. The TOP SAFETY PICK accolade launched in the 2006 model year to help consumers identify vehicles with the highest ratings. Over the years, IIHS has added to and strengthened criteria for both awards to encourage manufacturers to speed up safety advances.
December 20 marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of Harvey S. Firestone. This milestone coincides with the 30th anniversary of when Bridgestone merged with Firestone, a union that cemented Bridgestone’s position as the world’s largest tire and rubber company. Best known as the founder of Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, Harvey Firestone was a fourth-generation farmer who advanced to the forefront of early 20th century industrialism, with notable contributions across mobility, motorsports, retail service, agriculture and infrastructure.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8006652-bridgestone-150th-anniversary-harvey-firestone/
Dollar Car Rental, the leading family brand in the car rental industry, is rolling out an industry-leading debit card policy making it easier than ever to reserve a car using a debit card. The policy will eliminate credit checks, reduce proof of return travel and ID requirements, while also lowering the renter age restriction from 25 to 20 years old.
Financial expert and debit card advocate, Dave Ramsey, is joining forces with Dollar to help spread the word about the new, more customer-friendly policy, as it is a long-awaited solution that addresses a need he has seen firsthand.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8492251-dollar-car-rental-debit-card-policy/
GAC New Energy Automobile Co. Ltd. (“GAC NE”), China’s fastest-growing electric car manufacturer, has announced the pre-sale price for the Aion S, the debut electric vehicle (EV) in the Aion range. With a range over 510 km (317 miles) under NEDC, Aion S is offering customers personalized production with over 16,800 customization combinations.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8505651-gac-new-energy-aion-s-electric-vehicle/
