Holden Crushes Cars in the name of Safety

SYDNEY – June 20, 2013: Holden will join forces with the Australasian Road Rescue Organisation (ARRO) this week at Event Park in Canberra for the annual road rescue training event, the ‘Capital Rescue Challenge 2013’ (Challenge) to be held from 20 to 23 June 2013.

An event partner for 15 years, Holden is again proud to support the Challenge, donating 70 Holden vehicles to help hone the emergency response skills of road rescue workers from Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Hong Kong.

The vehicles, previously used by Holden for engineering evaluation purposes, include a range of late-model Holdens such as Commodore, Cruze, Captiva and Barina Spark.

Throughout the partnership, Holden has donated more than 1000 vehicles, ensuring the many men and women who attend motor vehicle crashes and save lives each day continue to update their skills on some of the most recent models out on the road.

During the event, teams will take part in simulated emergency situations designed to improve their emergency response skills, including rescues and medical treatment for injured motor vehicle occupants.

Holden Community Relations Manager, Maya Donevska, said the sponsorship is a natural fit for Holden, which has a long history of safety leadership and with road safety being one of the company’s Community Relations priority areas.

“For these reasons, Holden is pleased to expand our support of ARRO in 2013, sponsoring the Road Accident Awareness Program that the ACT Fire and Rescue Service will present to senior secondary school students during the Challenge,” she said.

“We believe that safety on our roads comes down to four factors; safe driving, safe cars, safe roads and the everyday heroes who have been trained to save lives.

“This education program is aimed at safe driving, by increasing the awareness of young people about the potential implications of road crashes, and helping them to make responsible choices as passengers, and ultimately drivers,” Ms Donevska said.

Holden Engineering Group Manager – Body Structures and Accessories, Mark Hickson, and Holden Design Release Engineer, Steven Su will attend the Challenge as part of the program’s educational Learning Symposium. Mr Hickson will present on the structure and metals in Holden’s recently launched VF Commodore, and Mr Su on the features of Holden’s long-range electric vehicle, the Volt.

Executive Officer of ARRO, Paul Jerome said Holden’s involvement is a vital component to the success of the training event.

“Holden’s support of this program gives our road rescue teams the valuable opportunity to get real hands on experience using new vehicles with the latest automotive technology. There is no other manufacturer in the world that provides this level of support, with both vehicles and technical expertise.

“The end result means the teams are better equipped with outstanding skills and techniques, which can make the difference at a real life accident scene,” Mr Jerome said.

Media interested in attending the Challenge on Friday 21 June are asked to contact Maya Donevska.