​​“Honda Safety Driven” Initiative Aims to Improve Safety Habits and Awareness Among Young Drivers​ 

Honda aims to achieve zero traffic collision fatalities involving Honda automobiles and motorcycles by 2050.  Years ago, they realized they couldn’t achieve this solely by adding vehicle safety features.  Making drivers more safety-conscious had to be a key part of the program, and the drivers they have targeted directly are those under 25.  This multifaceted program has recently reached one million students.  Michael Hohl Honda fills you in on this program. 

Drivers under 25, despite having around nine years of driving experience, make up one-third of all traffic fatalities annually, so it’s understandable why Honda concentrates on this age group. The Honda Safety Driven initiative, in collaboration with Discovery Education, uses real-world Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) concepts to teach students safe driving and responsible choices. Launched in October 2023, the program features a virtual field trip for students in grades 3-12, giving them a look inside Honda’s unique Automotive Safety Research Facility that is part of Honda’s vast complex of facilities across several towns northwest of Columbus, Ohio, as well as the Driving Simulation Laboratory at Ohio State University. So far, over 250,000 students have participated, and educators plan to keep using it annually as part of their curriculum. 

“We are proud to achieve this important milestone of one million students with our safety-awareness program but our real goal is zero – as in zero fatalities in traffic collisions involving our vehicles,” said MJ Foxley, Safety Strategy Leader at American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “Research consistently shows that human behavior is a key factor in the majority of traffic fatalities in the U.S., and Honda Safety Driven aims to buck that trend by to improving young driver behavior through innovative and fun educational experiences.” 

In the second year of the program, the Honda Safety Driven program launched a new program with two safety education resources online and through Discovery Education’s network. This included an interactive crash test video game called “Crash Course” to entertain and educate students about the physics of a car crash and how different factors can affect the level of risk to passengers, and a digital lesson bundle called “Pedestrian Safety” that teaches students about road safety for those not behind the wheel. An educator guide, presentation, family action plans, and accompanying e-bike and e-scooter safety student activity take the learning further. 

This year, Honda introduced an engaging video series called Honda Safety in Action: From Racetrack to Roadway – It Takes All of Us. It features Indy 500 winner Scott Dixon and champion motocross riders Jett and Hunter Lawrence from the Honda HRC Progressive racing team. Together, they demonstrate how the thrill of high-speed racing can inspire safe riding and driving habits in everyday life. The series is split into two parts, with one focusing on safety for four-wheel vehicles and the other on two-wheel vehicles, including bikes, e-bikes, scooters, and motorcycles.  

This fresh approach helps Honda connect with students by turning top-tier racing insights into practical safety tips they can use every day. And since young drivers often equate driving and riding skills with a lack of need for safety concerns, it underscores that the odds are overwhelmingly against them being as skilled a driver as Scott Dixon or as skilled a rider as the Lawrence brothers, and that these guys are discussing safety concerns.  

Honda also leads a variety of awareness and education initiatives, including the Honda DriverCoaching App and three rider education centers in California, Georgia, and Ohio. 

The Honda USA Foundation has also donated over $8 million in four years to support community safety programs, including education and training that extend beyond standard driver’s courses. 

It has been said that the greatest vehicle safety feature is located between the driver’s ears. So, in addition to vehicle features such as its Honda Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure and Honda Sensing® suite of safety and driver-assistance sensor technologies, Honda also hopes to improve that between-the-driver ’s-ears feature wherever it can.  

Visit Michael Hohl Honda, and in addition to enjoying the exterior and interior styling, taut handling, and intuitive controls, take time to discover the model’s safety features. And if you have a driver 25 or under in the family, consider exposing them to one or more aspects of the Honda Safety Driven program.