UPS, Boys & Girls Clubs joining forces at Texas

Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens, but UPS and its world-renown drivers are making an effort to change that with the help of Boys & Girls Clubs of America and UPS NASCAR driver David Ragan.

The UPS Foundation, which is the charitable arm of UPS, introduced a national program this year in collaboration with Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) to teach the company's industry-leading safe driving techniques to teens. Based in large part on the same safety training used with UPS's own drivers, the program -- UPS Road Code -- helps teens learn the code for safe driving.

Ragan

To help raise awareness for BGCA and UPS Road Code, the No. 6 UPS Ford Fusion will feature a Boys & Girls Club paint scheme when Ragan competes in the Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

"UPS drivers are among the safest on the road. The Road Code program gives us the opportunity to use our nationally recognized safe-driving training to directly impact a need in our communities and prevent teenage deaths," said Ken Sternad, president of The UPS Foundation. "This special paint scheme captures our commitment to driving safety, starting with teens at local Boys & Girls Clubs, and sharing it with UPS NASCAR fans."

The car design for the Texas race incorporates the BGCA logo, along with handprints from members of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas who participate in the UPS Road Code program. Prior to the weekend's activities, David unveiled the special car design with the help of these Club teens.

David has become a spokesperson for the Road Code program, supporting it through a series of video and audio public service announcements that are available online and have been broadcast on radio stations nationwide.

"Safety is a priority for me on and off the track and being on the road is something that needs to be taken seriously," said David. "It's easy to get distracted when you're in the car, but you need to be really focused when you're behind the wheel of a vehicle.

"Our entire race team is excited about the special Boys & Girls Club design we're running in Texas," continues Ragan. "This is definitely a change from the normal look of our car. It will catch the eyes of fans and help bring some awareness to the Club and also the UPS Road Code program."

UPS Road Code provides teens with four sessions of classroom?based instruction and time "behind the wheel" of a computerized driving simulator. Close to 150 UPS employees serve as trained volunteer instructors for the program.

UPS's more than 100,000 drivers worldwide live and breathe safety, logging more than 2.5 billion miles a year while averaging less than one accident per million miles driven.

"We are extremely grateful to The UPS Foundation for bringing UPS Road Code to our teens, providing access to important safety training utilizing state of the art simulators," said Roxanne Spillett, president and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of America. "And the paint scheme for David's car is outstanding. It truly captures the essence of our Clubs, our kids and our dedication to their safety."

Teens, parents and others interested in learning more about safe driving and UPS Road Code should visit www.ups.com/roadcode. And for regular updates on UPS Road Code, safe driving tips and other UPS news, sign up for the UPS Twitter channel at twitter.com/ups_news.