MINNEAPOLIS - The Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of Minnesota (AASP-MN), in cooperation with the Minnesota State Patrol, will hold its 12th annual "Lights On For Safety" event on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2006.
AASP-member technicians and automotive technical students will conduct a free inspection and replacement of most exterior vehicle light bulbs and headlamps. Troopers will also be on hand to answer traffic safety-related questions. At many of the locations, child passenger safety technicians from AAA Minnesota/Iowa will also be inspecting the installation of children's car seats. In addition, vehicle owners are encouraged to bring a cash or non-perishable food donation to support local food shelves.
The event is scheduled to take place at eight sites around Minnesota:
* AAA Minnesota/Iowa, Burnsville.
* Century College - East Campus, White Bear Lake.
* Dunwoody College of Technology, Minneapolis.
* Hennepin Technical College, Brooklyn Park.
* Central Lakes College, Brainerd.
* Minnesota Department of Transportation/State Patrol headquarters, Duluth.
* South Central College, North Mankato.
* Minnesota State Community & Technical College, Moorhead.
The Minnesota State Patrol has participated in Lights On For Safety events for the past eight years. Colonel Mark Dunaski, chief of the Minnesota State Patrol, says that projects such as this improve safety on Minnesota roadways.
"It's imperative that other drivers can see you and that you can see potential obstacles in your path," Dunaski says. "Stop by one of the event locations and an automotive professional will check that your vehicle's lights are in working order. And then it's up to you as the driver to use them consistently and appropriately."
Lights On For Safety, held in conjunction with the Car Care Council's Fall Car Care Month, was developed by AASP-MN to improve vehicle safety. The event also serves the community by helping to alleviate hunger.
Since its inception, Lights On For Safety volunteers have installed free bulbs in more than 4,300 vehicles and collected more than 15,000 pounds of food and $14,000 in cash for members of Hunger Solutions Minnesota. The sponsoring organizations have also awarded nearly $33,000 in scholarship funds to technical college automotive students who participate in the event.
In addition to AASP-MN, sponsors of Lights On For Safety include AAA Minnesota/Iowa, Auto Value Parts Stores, CARQUEST, NAPA Auto Parts and Parts Plus/Red Rooster Auto Stores.
For more information on times and to participate, call AASP-MN at (612) 623-1110 or log on to
www.aaspmn.org.
(Source: AASP-MN)
