kartSTART Presented by Toyota grows again to reach more Canadian families

Early adoption of safe driving habits puts future drivers on the right track

  • Unique interactive driving safety and education program for kids ages 10 year+ celebrates sixth year

  • Four new stops for 2016 tour, brings total to 10 locations across Canada

  • Enhanced Star Safety System and Toyota Safety Sense experience

TORONTO, ONTARIO (April 13, 2016) – The Toyota Canada Inc.-supported kartSTART program (www.kartSTART.ca), is gearing up for its sixth year of driving safety through education. Four new locations have been added for 2016, with stops in Red Deer, AB, Regina, SK, Hamilton, ON and Halifax, NS to round out the tour, in addition to returning to previous stops, by popular demand.  Offering a unique experience the whole family can benefit from, kartSTART allows kids to get behind the wheel of a motor vehicle and establish concrete driving awareness and skills training well before they become licenced driver, setting a strong foundation for safe driving down the road.

“Driving is a learned talent, and the more you practice, the better you’ll get at it,  This year we will reach more Canadian youth in more cities than ever before, and continue to build on the nearly 5,000 youth that have participated in our programs,” says kartSTART Presented by Toyota founder, Russ Bond.  “With distracted and impaired driving at an all-time high, and a lack of understanding of the true responsibility of operating a motor vehicle by young drivers, anything we can do to establish a strong foundation of responsible and safe driving habits in a fun way is beyond rewarding.” 

The kartSTART program is a true ‘family’ program, where kids ages 10+ and their families discover first-hand what it’s like to get behind the wheel.    

Available as morning or afternoon sessions with lunch included and a maximum of 20 youth each to ensure personal attention, participants receive one-on-one instruction from professional kartSTART instructors in custom-built go-karts, covering off both practical hands-on driving tips and tricks as well as learning about car  care and proper maintenance.  Following their personal track time, the whole family can join in the fun with Mom and Dad testing out a variety of vehicles on the Toyota Safety Track.  By the end of the session, it’s not clear who had more fun – the kids or their parents – but regardless, after just a few hours, all walk away with skills that will last a lifetime. 

Toyota is a world leader in safety with its renowned Toyota Star Safety system. Introduced in late 2015, Toyota has taken safety to the next level with its multi-feature advanced active safety suite Toyota Safety Sense, which bundles a Pre-Collision System with a host of other safety features including Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist, Full-Speed Dynamic Radar Cruise Control with full stop technology, Automatic High Beams and in some vehicles, Pedestrian Detection and Automatic Braking.  The inclusion of Toyota Safety Sense technology into the kartSTART program only reaffirms Toyota’s commitment to safety for all generations of drivers.

“The intent of the kartSTART program is to help educate future drivers and keep safety top of mind when operating a motor vehicle,” said Stephen Beatty, Vice President, Toyota Canada.  “This year, participants from our very first program will become licensed drivers, and we hope that the practical training they received during their kartSTART participation helps to establish safe driving habits not just at the licensing stage, but throughout their driving career.” 

The following locations across Canada are offering kartSTART workshops for 2016:

•           Chilliwack Area – Greg Moore Raceway June 25 to 28 – Chilliwack, BC

•           Edmonton Area – Castrol Raceway July 5 to 6 – Nisku, AB

•           Red Deer Area – July 11 to 12

•           Regina Area – 3 Flags Motorsports Park, July 15 to 16 – Lumsden, SK

•           Hamilton/Guelph Area – Flamboro Speedway, July 25 to 28 – Millgrove, ON

•           Toronto Area – Sunset Speedway, August 2 to 5 – Innisfil, ON

•           Montreal Area – Autodrome, August 8 to 11 – Saint Eustache, Québec

•           Trois-Rivières – SC Performance, August 15 to 17 – Saint-Célestin, Québec

•           Moncton Area – Champlain Motorsports Park, August 21 to 23– Dieppe, NB

•           Halifax Area – Scotia Speedworld, August 28 to 30 – Goffs, NS

kartSTART sessions offer great value, at just $79+HST per participant for a half day of driving fun, practical instruction and lunch, not to mention building a foundation for safe driving in the future, which is truly priceless.  The improved kartSTART website is now even simpler for Canadians to learn more about the program, see the full list of summer locations or complete registration online.   

For more information, and to reserve a spot in the 2016 kartSTART Presented by Toyota Nationwide Tour, please visit www.kartstart.ca or contact:

 

Facebook: kartSTART.ca

Telephone: 647-401-5153

Email: info@kartstart.ca

 

About Toyota Canada Inc.

Toyota Canada Inc. (TCI) is the exclusive Canadian distributor of Toyota, Lexus and Scion vehicles.  Toyota has sold over 4.9 million vehicles in Canada through a national network of 285 Toyota, Lexus and Scion dealerships.  Toyota is dedicated to bringing safety, quality, dependability and reliability in the vehicles Canadians drive and the service they receive.  TCI’s head office is located in Toronto, with regional offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Halifax and parts distribution centres in Toronto and Vancouver.  Toyota operates two manufacturing facilities in Canada. Having produced more than six million vehicles, popular Canadian models built at these facilities include Toyota RAV4, Toyota Corolla, Lexus RX 350 and RX 450h hybrid.

 

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