Dia Mirza Launches Bridgestone safety campaign in Mumbai

Mumbai, 20th June, 2009 — Bridgestone, the world’s no.1 Tyre & Rubber manufacturers, launches the India chapter of safety campaign titled ‘Think Before You Drive’, as part of its continued efforts towards road safety. ‘Think Before You Drive Campaign’ is a worldwide initiative by Bridgestone which pursues road safety initiatives for the future, emphasizing the company’s commitment to safety and contributing to the global goal of reducing the number of road deaths and casualties.

The “Think Before You Drive Campaign” was launched in 2005 globally with the goal of promoting simple road safety messages to road users. The initiative has reached every region of the world and is backed by FIA (Federation of International Automobile) member clubs from more than 60 countries. It identifies the main causes of serious or fatal crashes, urging motorists to implement simple safety measures before they drive.

As part of its safety campaign, Bridgestone brings the Ferrari Formula One car to Mumbai. The `ultimate speed machine’ was unveiled by none other than the young, charismatic, Bollywood youth icon Dia Mirza, setting the F1 tone amidst loads of fervor and excitement.

Bridgestone is the Sole tyre supplier for F1 and its technology is used to manufacture tyres in India. The unveiling kick started the Bridgestone’s road show which is scheduled at prominent malls across the city.

Commenting on the launch, Mr. H. Tanigawa, Managing Director, Bridgestone India Pvt. Ltd said, “I’m extremely pleased and proud to launch ‘Think Before You Drive campaign’ in India. This is a very successful initiative worldwide which has been conducted in almost 80 countries.” Mr. Tanigawa added “The campaign aims to promote safe driving behavior and to raise awareness about road safety, locally and globally”.

To complement the safety message, Bridgestone has set up safety check stations at leading malls, corporate park & Mumbai-Pune expressway. During the road shows, Bridgestone also distributes safety booklets and a tire gauge that measures tire pressure and tread depth.