Case Studies


client: Bridgestone’s Driver’s Edge

Driver’s Edge Educates Teen Drivers and Saves Lives

capabilities/industry:   Media Relations |  Meetings & Special Events |  Automotive |  Education


Driver’s Edge is a free educational program for drivers aged 15 to 21 that provides accident avoidance training, response techniques and overall driver safety. The program training, taught by driving professionals, includes behind-the-wheel and classroom experiences. Driver’s Edge equips teen drivers with the necessary skills to respond to a variety of hazardous driving situations and to ultimately save lives. Bridgestone believes this is an important program because:

  • Nearly one-third of all deaths for people aged 16 to 20 years old were motor-vehicle-related.
  • More 16- to 20-year olds are killed in motor vehicle related crashes than those who are killed by drugs, guns and violent crimes combined.
  • Young drivers account for only 6.3 percent of total drivers, but are involved in nearly 13 percent of all fatal motor vehicle collisions.

results: Since its inception in June 2002, Driver’s Edge has touched more than 50,000 lives with its free behind-the-wheel driver’s educational program with the support of Bridgestone. During this time, DVL has planned and executed local, regional and national media outreach for this non-profit program on both national and regional levels.

Strong broadcast and print coverage of the Driver’s Edge program resulted from proactive media outreach. Media highlights included: the Dallas Morning News, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the Tennessean, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Detroit Free-Press, the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the Chicago Tribune, the St. Petersburg Times and the Tampa Tribune with additional news coverage on ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX affiliates within 11 Bridgestone Firestone-supported Driver’s Edge program markets.

National media outreach efforts yielded coverage in USA Weekend, Newsweek Magazine, MSNBC, the “John Tesh Radio Show” and the “Bobby Likis Car Clinic Radio Show.”

DVL’s efforts on behalf of Bridgestone generated more than 70 million media impressions nationally and regionally.