Cooper Tire & Rubber Company and the National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS) are encouraging teens and young adults across the country to learn how to conduct three basic monthly tire safety checks – tire pressure, tread depth and overall tire condition – and share this information with their peers through the new Tread WiselyTM Challenge. Participating schools, clubs, groups and organizations will compete against one another this year for the chance to win cash prizes.

The new challenge follows Cooper’s Tread Wisely mobile app release in May. The app is designed to promote tire and vehicle safety among teens and young adults by empowering young drivers through convenient safety information, how-to videos, and unique features directly into their hands. Cooper created the app in partnership with the National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS).

The new challenge is open to any group whose members are of high school or college ages. Groups can register to participate and then host a kick-off event, encouraging other teens and young adults to complete their own tire safety checks.

The kick-off event allows youth leaders to inform their peers about tire safety, including how to complete the three monthly checks. Each student is provided with a free tire safety kit supplied by Cooper and NOYS. Then, those in attendance are asked to complete at least one tire safety check on their own using what they have learned. Groups that successfully complete the challenge and submit the required documentation are entered to win one of 50 available cash prizes of $500.

To encourage youth participation in the challenge, Cooper and NOYS have created a group of 13 young leaders who are passionate about tire and vechile safety to form the Tread Wisely Ambassadors. Tread Wisely Ambassadors have been attending youth conferences this year to encourage clubs and groups to participate. To date, more than 250 groups from across the nation are registered to take part including individual Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Business Professionals of America (BPA), DECA, Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) and Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) chapters.

Tread Wisely is a tire and vehicle safety program for young drivers developed in 2016 when Cooper adopted this as a signature philanthropy cause and selected NOYS as a partner in its efforts to educate and motivate young people to take necessary precautions and important safety measures when it comes to their tires and driving.

“A tire safety check is recommended every 30 days and before long road trips and requires just minutes to complete with three basic steps,” said Anne Roman, Cooper’s Vice President of Communications & Public Affairs. “Cooper has launched the national Tread Wisely Challenge to educate young drivers on how to conduct these checks so they can keep themselves, their friends and loved ones safer on the road. It’s one of many ways we are spreading tire and vehicle safety information to young people through our Tread Wisely initiative.”

Student groups interested in hosting a Tread Wisely Challenge event can sign up on the NOYS website here.