Miller Brewing Company and American Motorcyclist Association Launch National Motorcycle Safety Program

Keep Your Balance Program Introduced at Tomahawk Fall Ride

MILWAUKEE, Sept. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Miller Brewing Company and the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) have partnered to create Keep Your Balance, a comprehensive program intended to promote safe motorcycle riding practices and responsible alcohol consumption. The program, endorsed by the National Fraternal Order of Police, officially launched Sept. 14 at the Tomahawk, WI Fall Ride.
Miller believes that individual responsibility is enhanced by the ability to make informed choices. Keep Your Balance promotes rider education and emphasizes the importance of planning ahead and getting home safely. Following the Tomahawk kickoff, this national program will be a part of additional motorcycle events across the country including the upcoming ride in York, Pa. Sept. 27 - 29.
"Our goal with Keep Your Balance is to provide motorcycle enthusiasts and local retailers with information about how to reduce irresponsible motorcycle riding, due to over-consumption of alcohol, unsafe riding practices or insufficient training," said Diane Wagner, alcohol responsibility manager at Miller Brewing Company. "Our kickoff in Tomahawk, Wisconsin, Miller's home state, was a great success and allowed us to introduce the program, share safe riding tips and remind the more than 40,000 riders in attendance about responsible drinking. Several hundred riders signed pledges to ride responsibly and our program materials and mission were well-received. The riders recognize the need for this type of program and Miller and the AMA look forward to expanding our reach at several upcoming events."
According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data released in August 2007, motorcycle fatalities have increased 47 percent since 2002, making this program especially relevant to riders today. Under the umbrella of Miller's successful Respect the Road program, Keep Your Balance will provide motorcycle riders and retailers with educational training materials and tools to encourage responsible practices and to help prevent the hazards associated with impaired motorcycle riding.
"Training is one of the best things a rider can do for themselves and others on the road. Our aim is to help spread awareness and encourage riders to use good judgment," said Rob Dingman, AMA president and chief executive officer. "Educational programs like Keep Your Balance are crucial for decreasing the number of alcohol-related motorcycle crashes occurring today."
Elements of the program include: certified server training for local retailers, a public awareness campaign, training resources for riders, educational materials on safe riding practices, retail involvement and promotion, incentive giveaways such as training kits and t-shirts for responsible riding pledges, outdoor advertising and program messaging and prepaid phone cards offering responsible riding tips provided by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Miller will also utilize its national distributor network to help promote and communicate the program via retailers. Public awareness will be sustained through web communications including a web site dedicated to the Keep Your Balance program at http://www.millerkeepyourbalance.com/.
About Miller Brewing Company
As one of America's oldest brewers, Miller Brewing Company continues the commitment of founder Frederick J. Miller to brew "confoundedly good beers" with "uncompromising quality." Through more than 150 years of innovation and brewing excellence, Miller has built a broad portfolio of award-winning beers that capture approximately 18 percent of the U.S. beer market. In the past decade, Miller beers have won 105 medals -- more than twice as many as its major competitors -- at the biannual World Beer Cup and annual Great American Beer Fest. An unprecedented four-time gold award winner at the World Beer Cup, Miller Lite is the great tasting, less filling beer that has defined the American light lager category since 1975. Miller's latest innovation, Miller Chill, is a chelada-style beer brewed with lime and salt, providing a unique twist on refreshment. Miller also brews smooth, golden rich Miller Genuine Draft using a unique cold-filtering process introduced in 1985. The company's oldest brew is Miller High Life, the champagne of beers. Miller imports Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Pilsner Urquell, Tyskie and Foster's, and it offers regional craft brews from the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company and the Blitz-Weinhard Brewing Company. Near-premium beers include Milwaukee's Best Light, Steel Reserve, Olde English 800, Mickey's Malt Liquor, Icehouse and Sharp's, a non-alcohol brew. Miller also offers the Sparks line of caffeinated alcohol beverages. Miller is a wholly owned subsidiary of SABMiller plc, one of the world's leading brewers with a global footprint spread across five continents. For more information, visit http://www.millerbrewing.com/.


Source: Miller Brewing Company