DON'T TXT & DRIVE

History

Bayerische Motoren Werke (BMW; English: Bavarian Motor Works) is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1917. BMW is headquartered in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands.

Although BMW's current fame and reputation as one of the greatest automobile manufacturers can be mostly linked to models produced in the last two decades, the history of the marque stretches back almost 90 years and contains numerous achievements that have established it as a benchmark. The origins of BMW trace back to 1913 when Karl Friedrich Rapp, a Bavarian who had been a well-known engineer in a German aircraft company, formed Rapp Motoren Werke in a suburb of Munich. The company specialized in airplane engines however Rapp found that they were problematic and suffered from excessive vibration. Nearby, Gustav Otto, also an airplane specialist, set up his own shop, Gustav Flugmaschinefabrik, building small aircraft. Because of the faulty engines, Rapp Motoren Werke secured a contract with Austro-Daimler, who was unable to meet its demands, to build V12 Aero engines under license. The company expanded too quickly, however, and by 1916 Rapp resigned from the company because of financial troubles. In his place Franz Josef Popp and Max Friz, two Austrians, took over the company. In March that same year, Rapp Motoren Werke merged with Gustav Flugmaschinefabrik to form Bayersiche Flugzeungwerke. It was shortly afterwards renamed Bayersiche Motoren Werke (Bavarian Motor Works), or BMW, forming the company we know today.

BMW Products
The BMW Car and Motorcycle range comprises:

1 Series The BMW 1 Series was launched in 2004 and was the first sports hatch in the highly competitive compact car segment. 3 Series The BMW 3 Series is the benchmark premium sports saloon, and continues to define the compact executive car segment. The current 3 Series was launched in 2005 and revised in 2008, and is available in four models: Saloon, Touring, Coup and Convertible. 5 Series The BMW 5 Series car was launched in 2003 and is available in both Saloon and Touring models with a number of petrol and diesel engine options. 6 Series The BMW 6 Series comes in two models, Coup and Convertible, and is available in a number of petrol and diesel engine sizes. Launched in 2003, the 6 Series has become renowned for its sporting elegance and cutting-edge design.

7 Series The 7 Series is BMWs luxury Saloon, combining performance, elegance and dynamic appeal. X3 The X3 Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) was launched in 2004 and is available in SE and M Sport in a range of engine models. X5 The BMW X5 was the first car in the Sports Activity Vehicle Segment, when it launched in 1999. The new X5 was launched in 2007 and is available in SE and Sport with a range of petrol and diesel engine models. X6 The BMW X6 model range, launched in 2008 is turbocharged and has Efficient Dynamics technology to enhance performance and economy yet reduce emissions. Z4 The Z4 is BMW's premium sports car range, with Z4 Roadster and Coup models available in a variety of engine sizes. The range, which was launched in 2003, uses innovative technology and a lightweight engine to offer the ultimate wind-in-your-hair driving experience. BMW M launched its first road car (M1) in 1978 and the range has since expanded to include the
M3 Coup, Convertible and Saloon, the M5 Touring and Saloon, the M6 Coup and Convertible and the Z4 M Roadster and Coup.

BMW Motorcycle
There are two models in this series: R (pictured) and K. The BMW Motorcycles are available in five varieties. These include High Performance, Enduro, Urban, Xcountry, Sport and Tour, and each variety is available in a range of models and engine sizes. MINI is one of the most entertaining cars on the road, with dynamic performance and handling and an unmistakable appearance that makes it instantly recognisable. It is currently available in a range of models including: MINI Hatch (MINI One, MINI Cooper, MINI Cooper D, MINI Cooper S), MINI John Cooper Works, MINI Convertible (MINI One Convertible, MINI Cooper Convertible, MINI Cooper S Convertible) and MINI Clubman (MINI Cooper D Clubman, MINI Cooper Clubman, MINI Cooper S Clubman). MINI is produced in England and is now sold in over 70 countries worldwide. The RollsRoyce Motor Cars Rolls-Royce launched the Drophead Coupe in 2007 which has a V / 12 / 48 engine, reaches a top speed of 149 mph and does 0-100km/h in 5.9 seconds. The Rolls-Royce Phantom features a 6.75 litre light alloy V12 engine that provides 460PS (453bhp) of power. Rolls Royce also launched the Centenary Experimental 100 EX and the limited edition Centenary Phantom in 2004. Summer 2008 saw the production of the new Phantom Coup, the most driver-orientated model in the Phantom line.

BMW National Campaign Against Distracted Driving

BMW of North America announced a national campaign comprised of television, print, online and radio advertising and a strong in-dealership message, all timed for the summer season and designed to raise awareness of the dangers of distracted driving. The campaign, themed "DON'T TXT & DRIVE" - When the Engine Starts the Texting Stops, begins in early June and runs throughout the year.

"Distracted driving is an epidemic in America, and it has deadly consequences for thousands of people on our roads each year, said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "Putting a stop to these needless deaths, as well as hundreds of thousands of injuries, will require everyone to take personal responsibility for safe driving. I am grateful to BMW for their efforts to raise public awareness about distracted driving and for urging drivers to put down their phones and focus on the road. I hope that other automakers will follow their lead." Television creative illustrates the contradiction between being an overprotective parent and the carelessness of texting while driving. The spot juxtaposes imagery of an overly cautious father bathing his son with the added protection of water wings and goggles, and a mother obsessively putting hand sanitizer on her child's hands; with the final scene pointing out how all of that can be undone in a second as a mother picks up her phone when a text message is received while her child is strapped into a car seat behind her. It closes with a scene of another car racing toward them before the mother looks up and realizes what is about to happen. The screen cuts to black and displays the tagline, "Your Family's Safety is in Your Hands. When the Engine Starts, The Texting Stops.

 U.S. Department of Transportation statistics show nearly 5.500 people died in crashes in 2009 involving a distracted driver, while the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found 87 percent of teen drivers admit to texting while behind the wheel. These statistics provided BMW with ample motivation to get behind this cause and develop the actions the company is now announcing. As a leader in technology, BMW continues to use research and innovation to develop systems that enhance safety and convenience while further eliminating distraction. For example, the company uses a method called pupilometry to define the movement of one's eye between information inside the vehicle and the car controls. This helps defines the placement of information to allow maximum attention on the road and the ability to monitor systems.

Campaign Adds

DON'T TXT & DRIVE

In online advertisements, the words "TEXT MESSAGING IS VERY DISTRACTING" appear in bold, block letters across the homepage of websites making it difficult to read and demonstrating how texting while driving interferes with a driver's field of vision. At the BMW Performance Center in Spartanburg, South Carolina, the company's Teen Driving School has trained more than 3,000 young drivers over the last 10 years to help them safely and properly handle their vehicles. The program continues this year. The DON'T TXT & DRIVE message will be incorporated in more than 100 teen driving schools conducted across the United States this year by the BMW Car Club of America Foundation. BMW dealerships will feature printed materials, hangtags and static cling decals for display in vehicles and showrooms throughout the summer.

In December of 2010, as part of his initiative to meet with auto manufacturers on the subject of distracted driving, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood met with BMW of North America CEO Jim O'Donnell to discuss actions both organizations were taking. BMW was already active promoting Don't Text and Drive through its Teen Driving School, and was inspired to develop more comprehensive actions, including the advertising campaign.

Texting and driving is starting to become an even bigger problem than drinking and driving. And its not just teenagers. Almost half of adults admitted that they texted while driving, while only 34% of teens said they texted while driving. Over 500,000 police-reported crashes in 2008 were due to distracted drivers. So BMW has launched a campaign to end distracted driving. The DONT TXT & DRIVE campaign urges drivers that When the Engine Starts the Texting Stops. As a leader in innovative technology, BMW continues to research systems that enhance safety and convenience while eliminating distractions.