Jim O'Donnell, President of BMW of Due north America, LLC launched the company'south "Drive Information technology HOME – DON'T TXT & DRIVE" campaign today with the help of Evans Scholars, local teens and automotive partners including Group 1 Automotive, and the Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana BMW Centers at a special Teen Driving Schoolhouse to kick off the BMW Championship at U.South. Cellular Field in Chicago, Illinois.

PGA Bout player, Brian Gay, too attended the event to speak about the importance of road safety. All gain from the driving consequence benefits the Evans Scholars Foundation, which provides full university tuition and housing grants to deserving immature caddies.

O'Donnell, a staunch advocate against behaviors associated with distracted driving commented, "Being a proficient corporate citizen is a BMW cadre value and we are specially committed to promoting safe driving through eliminating driver distractions."

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Additionally, he said, "Road safety goes to the middle of the company's Dna and nosotros advocate not only the safety of our own customers, but the prophylactic of everyone on the route. Our teen driving school and "Drive IT HOME – DON'T TXT & Bulldoze campaign give united states of america the opportunity to invest in our children, raising sensation most the risks of driving and helping them to develop lifelong safety habits."

Earl Hesterberg, President and CEO, Group ane Automotive, which owns 15 BMW and MINI dealerships throughout the U.South., was pleased to team up with BMW to promote the early teaching of young drivers.

"We are excited to partner with BMW to sponsor its Teen Driving School coinciding with the BMW Championship," commented Hesterberg. "Driver awareness and safety for teens have never been more important given the many distractions confronting young drivers today –such as texting while driving. Nosotros are proud to support BMW in its efforts to help keep teen drivers prophylactic."

BMW'due south "DRIVE IT Dwelling – DON'T TXT & DRIVE" campaign is an of import improver to the teen driving schoolhouse program. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 87 pct of teens admit to texting while driving. At the teen driving school, students acquire this beliefs is one of the nigh unsafe actions a person can do behind the wheel.

Dan Gubitosa, Manager, BMW Performance Center noted, "Our driving instructors teach that information technology's vital to remain focused on the road alee and be aware of one's surroundings. If you are on the cell telephone or texting while driving, you are not able to anticipate or react intelligently to chancy situations. Our new campaign on distracted driving creates awareness about the consequences of this action affecting not simply teens but everyone who drives a vehicle."

The BMW Teen Driving School is a grassroots initiative nether the company's Corporate Social Responsibility program combining teens, road safe and local community outreach. Information technology is a recent extension of the teen curriculum offered at the BMW Operation Center located in Spartanburg, SC. Students improve their driving skills and increase their route knowledge through classroom instruction, driver awareness activities and hands-on driving exercises.

Since BMW became a presenting sponsor of the BMW Championship in 2007, the BMW Title has raised a full of $7.3 million for the Evans Scholars Foundation. BMW as well offers a summer internship program that invites the scholars to work for BMW, offering them invaluable insight into their future careers subsequently graduation. At the 2010 BMW Championship, BMW will also continue its tradition of pledging a iv-yr Evans Scholarship in honor of the outset histrion who scores a hole-in-one during the tournament.