Vancouver, BC—Dealers across the country are taking collective action this spring to eliminate a growing threat to their local communities: distracted driving.
For more information on the campaign and to learn how to get involved, visit distractionfree.ca or follow LGM’s campaign coverage on Twitter: @LGMCanada
Inattention while behind the wheel is a factor in approximately four million vehicle collisions in North America every year (CAA, 2016). For many in the automotive industry, the numbers have simply become too staggering to ignore.
Dealer champions of the cause are calling for Canada-wide participation in the third annual Auto Dealers Against Distracted Driving Campaign, which launches March 1, 2017 in every province.
Preparations for the month-long awareness campaign are already well underway, with many dealers signed on to lead their own local campaigns, both in-store and online. In lending their name to the cause, they are committed to educating their staff and customers on positive driving habits and asking them to take a formal pledge against distracted driving.
The Auto Dealers Against Distracted Driving Campaign is organized by LGM Financial Services, a leading provider of OEM-branded automotive finance and insurance products with a network of dealer partners across Canada. An annual giving back initiative with the goal to enforce a critical behaviour change for drivers in every community, LGM is supporting dealer campaign efforts by providing free-of-charge point-of-sale collateral, digital toolkits and training sessions on how to make the strongest impact with customers.
“One of the most exciting things about this initiative is the amount of control individual dealerships have over the campaign’s roll out and activities,” says Marc-André Lefebvre, vice president of sales for the Quebec region at LGM. “We supply them with both hard copy and digital campaign material to support their efforts and help kick start conversations with customers, but for the most part, the campaign is what they make of it.”
The campaign has grown steadily since its inception in 2015. Last year alone, more than 700 dealers registered to participate, gathering roughly 4,000 pledges against distracted driving. This year, the campaign goal is to increase engagement among dealership customers and to at least double the number of pledges from the previous year to more than 8,000.
“Something as simple as sending a quick text or engaging with a chatty passenger has proven to have a devastating impact on road safety,” says Nathalie Sarault, a LGM dealer development manager who oversaw dozens of dealer registrations during last year’s campaign. “As a customer prepares to drive off the lot in their new car, there’s a valuable opportunity to reinforce the perils of driver inattention to a captive audience.”
The campaign is generously supported by The Lowe-Martin Group, Canadian AutoWorld and Autosphere.ca.
For more information on the campaign and to learn how to get involved, visit distractionfree.ca or follow LGM’s campaign coverage on Twitter: @LGMCanada