The Auto Club Group, based in Dearborn, has developed vital new initiatives as part of its ongoing efforts to invest in Michigan communities.
A new connected vehicle safety pilot program in Ann Arbor, an innovative approach to reducing traffic crashes, and a special focus on improving a Detroit neighborhood form the centerpiece of its efforts.
“We are excited about our partnership with the University of Michigan, which uses a $15 million federal grant to study the potential of connected vehicles on the streets and highways of Ann Arbor,” said Chuck Podowski, President and CEO of The Auto Club Group. “Through this effort, we will place wireless devices into 3,000 vehicles as we work to revolutionize automotive safety and prevent thousands of deaths each year.”
The project, which kicks off in August and continues into the following year, also involves the support of the Michigan Department of Transportation and the City of Ann Arbor.
Podowski is also proud of a first of its kind public-private partnership to reduce traffic crashes at high-risk urban intersections in Detroit and Grand Rapids.
“We offered a $2 million investment in conjunction with the American Automobile Association (AAA) to place larger signs, better signals and improved road markings at hazardous intersections,” Podowski said. “Working with engineers at the Michigan Department of Transportation and Wayne State University, we were able to procure another $25 million in federal, state and local dollars.”
So far in Detroit, the initiative has reduced crash injuries by 46 percent at some of the most dangerous intersections in the state.
Podowski also touts a neighborhood development program in which The Auto Club Group plays a key role.
“While our organization has been involved in cleanup efforts at parks, schools and playgrounds across Michigan for many years, we have been working more closely with the Brightmoor community in Northwest Detroit during the past two years,” Podowski said. “We cleaned the local park, provided traffic safety programs for area residents, and hosted events in the community center. In August, 125 of our employees volunteered their time and sweat equity to build a new playground, so that more than 2,000 kids can play in a safe environment within walking distance from their homes.”
“Michigan is our home,” Podowski said. “The state represents our largest concentration of property/casualty insurance customers, and we like doing business here. We are very committed to being in Michigan for a very long time.”
The Auto Club Group, which includes AAA Michigan and encompasses eleven states, is AAA’s second largest club with more than 8.4 million members and nearly 8,000 employees. One out of every five cars in Michigan is insured by The Auto Club Group and/or its affiliates.