Renault opens a track dedicated to safety and eco-driving

• Renault has opened the “The Renault Track, the right track” in Saint-Just in Eure, a new facility for safe and responsible driver training.
   
• Open to individuals and businesses, the track has a 100% Renault vehicle fleet: electric and ICE vehicles, some of which are fitted with driving aids for users with reduced mobility.
   
• A campus dedicated to safety, the site will be used by students from the Management of Corporate Road Risks program at Aix-Marseille University.
   
• “The Renault Track, the right track”, of which proceeds will be invested in social action, is the latest expression of Renault’s commitment to CSR.
   
• For more information and to book training sessions: www.circuit-renault.fr

Carlos Tavares, Renault’s Chief Operating Officer, explains. “ By improving our knowledge of the environment, we get more enjoyment out of driving. As a carmaker, we are working to enhance the driving pleasure of our vehicles, but we also have a responsibility to actively improve driving behavior and reduce CO2 emissions. In Europe, 80% of road accidents are caused by human error. Studies show that drivers can reduce fuel consumption by up to 25% by adjusting their driving style. I am proud to be opening the Renault Track, which will train more than 2,000 people every year in safe, eco-responsible driving – further proof of our commitment to social responsibility .”


Full courses, combining theory and practice, for all users

The Renault Track, the right track is open to everyone: individuals and businesses, Renault employees, experienced drivers, seniors interested in improving their driving, young people learning to drive for the first time, and reduced-mobility drivers.The training course, priced at €250 (including meals), consists of a morning of theoretical teaching and an afternoon behind the wheel of Renault vehicles from the ICE, electric and reduced-mobility ranges. The educational program starts with accident prevention and eco-driving. It is designed to help trainees develop a better understanding of the mechanisms that lead to accidents, to analyze their reactions (reflexes and fears) and to understand the capabilities and limits of vehicle technology (ABS, EBA, etc.). The course also teaches trainees the principles of eco-driving (changing gears, managing acceleration and braking by anticipating traffic conditions) and how to make the most of the eco-driving functions (driving style indicator, journey summary, eco-coaching and eco-navigation) so they can reduce fuel consumption and therefore their transport costs.More in-depth two-day and three-day courses will be introduced.


More than just a track: a campus dedicated to safety

As well as opening the track, Renault has been working with Aix-Marseille University to develop an original partnership to offer a university degree in Management of Corporate Road Risk. The course is designed primarily for education students, to extend their qualifications. The degree will train the participants in prevention of road risks and create a university qualification in prevention of road risk. The first intake will enroll in September 2013. Much of the course will be dispensed on the track. It will be like a campus – a space for training and teaching and also for discussions and debates between experts.

Further proof of renaults innovative approach to CSR

The track – the only one of its kind in France – is the result of a co-build project between several stakeholders that share a similar outlook. Renault turned to Duprat Concept, a major leisure park operator. Duprat Concept designed, implemented and operates the track, while Renault provides the vehicle fleet and its expertise in road safety and eco-driving. Duprat Concept and Renault have agreed not to make any profit out of the training courses: all proceeds will be invested in social action to help disadvantaged young people back into the labour market. The educational programs are designed by Renault experts with theoretical contributions from road safety researchers at Aix-Marseille University.



Read the appendix : Safety and eco-driving: a longstanding commitment