The partnership, launched during National Tyre Safety Month in October, will see Bridgestone leverage its expertise to engage with young learners aged 10 to 17. Young Driver, which provides driving lessons in a safe, controlled environment at over 70 venues across the UK, is a leading organisation in pre-17 driving education. With an average of 140,000 lessons delivered each year, the initiative gives youngsters hands-on driving experience in cars ranging from Vauxhall Corsas to Porsches. Now, as Bridgestone becomes the exclusive tyre partner for Young Driver, tyre safety will become a key focus of their curriculum.

Teaching Tyre Safety from Day One

Through a series of engaging initiatives, Bridgestone aims to teach young drivers and their families about the crucial role tyres play in road safety. This will include lessons on how to check tyre tread depth, tyre pressure, and general maintenance. Bridgestone’s North Region Vice President, Andrea Manenti, emphasised the importance of these messages:

"We’re thrilled to be working with Young Driver, who make such a lasting impression with budding motorists when sitting in the car for the first time. Young Driver makes an invaluable contribution towards road safety by educating pupils at an early age, which is what we are striving to achieve at Bridgestone. We want to educate budding motorists about the importance of tyre performance and maintenance at a time when these messages are most likely to live long in the memory."

In addition to in-person lessons, interactive quizzes will be available through the Young Driver app, providing another platform for learners to enhance their understanding of tyre safety. Bridgestone will also explore educational giveaways and collaborate with the Young Driver Foundation, which works on road safety education in schools and with charities.

Responding to a Growing Concern

The need for this partnership is supported by worrying findings from a Bridgestone-commissioned survey earlier this year. The study, which surveyed 2,000 UK drivers, revealed that 73% of motorists do not regularly check their tyres, with 35% admitting they never consider tyre maintenance at all. These statistics highlight a significant gap in tyre safety awareness, something Bridgestone is eager to address by educating future generations early.

Ian Mulingani, Managing Director of Young Driver, spoke about the importance of early intervention in road safety education:

"We’ve spent the last 15 years working hard to create a safer next generation of drivers. We realised that process didn’t have to begin when a teenager was 17 and learning on the road – it’s much more successful when it’s done over a longer period of time and from a younger age. Introducing the drivers of the future to tyre safety can only be a good thing, in terms of making our roads a safer place to be, which is why we’re delighted to be partnering with Bridgestone."

Bridgestone’s Broader Road Safety Mission

This partnership is part of Bridgestone’s wider road safety campaign, ‘Become a Bridgestone Road Safety Hero’, which aims to promote tyre maintenance across the UK. Recently, the campaign conducted free tyre safety checks at events like the British Motor Show, where more than 800 cars were inspected.

The initiative also aligns with Bridgestone’s E8 Commitment, a strategic framework guiding the company’s actions in areas like sustainability, efficiency, and empowerment. This partnership with Young Driver further strengthens Bridgestone’s mission to create safer roads while delivering social value.

For more information on tyre safety, visit Bridgestone’s Road Safety Hero Learners Guide.

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