Maruti Suzuki-Autocar Young Driver 2010

Online, February 15, 2010 (Newswire.com) - IN A recently published global status report on road safety, the World Health Organisation has revealed that more people die in road accidents in India than anywhere else in the world, including the more populous China. Driver education, stricter law enforcement and better infrastructure are the need of the hour. Maruti Suzuki and Autocar India have joined hands to do their bit to make Indian roads a safer place by instituting the Maruti Suzuki - Autocar Young Driver 2010 programme.

Maruti Suzuki - Autocar Young Driver 2010 is a nationwide search for India's best young driving talent. This competition tests the competitors' knowledge of traffic rules, awareness of road safety along with their real-world driving skill. This contest is open to all individuals, between the age of 18 and 30, with a valid Indian driving license. The winning finalist will be adjudged as the 'Maruti Suzuki - Autocar Young Driver of the Year 2010' and awarded the Maruti Suzuki A-star as a grand prize. He will also be the ambassador of safe driving and promoted by Autocar India and Maruti Suzuki on numerous platforms.

Season one of the Young Driver of the Year saw a total of 3,07,665 online visitors who had checked out the contest and over 4,000 drivers were competing for entry into the second round. Eventually 35 contestants made it to the grand finale held at the Institute of Driving Training and Research (IDTR), New Delhi. Last year's winner Zubin Antalia from Mumbai said, "It is a dream come true for me. I was hooked on to the concept when I first heard about it and after three exciting and testing rounds and a month long wait, I am ecstatic to be crowned the winner. I would appeal to all my friends in the country to pledge to safe driving across the nation and would like to thank both, Maruti Suzuki and Autocar, for this extremely novel initiative."

Mayank Pareek - executive director at Maruti Suzuki India Limited said, "India being the youngest nation of the world, its future lies in the hands of youth. India has second highest road accidents in the world as many people still don't know the right skills behind the wheels. Maruti Suzuki has initiated series of programmes to promote road safety in India. 'Young Driver Contest' with Auto Car India is one more step in the same direction for young and safe India."

"India has the worst road safety records in the world with the maximum number of road related deaths. Autocar India believes that the lack of proper driver training and a lax licensing procedure is the root cause for the high death toll on the Indian roads. The Young Driver programme is aimed at creating a culture for road safety amongst the youth by highlighting the importance of sensible and safe driving skills to make Indian roads more safe" - Hormazd Sorabjee, editor - Autocar India.

"It is not just enough to create a safe road environment. Road safety awareness and safe driving behaviour are equally important. The Maruti Suzuki Autocar Young Driver Contest is a sincere effort to encourage our youth to drive safely and responsibly. We want every participant to become an ambassador of road safety and contribute to the cause" - Mahesh Rajoria, general manager- Maruti Driving School.

Maruti Suzuki - Autocar Young Driver 2010 contest will be held in three phases.

Phase 1: Participants who have registered on youngdriver.in can take the online theory test in the form of a quiz. They will be tested on their knowledge of traffic rules, awareness of road safety and driving dos and donts. The contestants will be selected on the basis of the highest scores and time taken for completing the quiz. The last date for the round is February 25, 2010. Contestants who make it to the next round will be intimated via e-mail or SMS.

Phase 2: The simulator tests will be conducted at the 26 Maruti Driving Schools located across the country. The selected contestants can take their simulator tests at a nearest Maruti Driving School as per the availability of date and time starting from March 1 to 13, 2010. The top 30 contestants who get maximum marks on their simulator test round and a practical round of parking ability will be qualified to progress into the grand finale.

Phase 3: 30 finalists from across the country will be flown to Delhi for the grand finale. During this stage of evaluation that will be held at the driving course of Institute of Driving Training and Research (IDTR), New Delhi. There will be an actual driving test under the supervision of Maruti Driving School's driving instructors and judges from Autocar India. Drivers will be evaluated on various parameters such as smoothness, vehicle control and presence of mind during emergency situations.

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