PARIS, April 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Valeo announces today that its Park4U(TM) system has been awarded the 2008 Genius Safety Award by German insurance company Allianz. The award was presented during a ceremony organized yesterday at the Volkspalast in Leipzig on the occasion of the Auto Mobil International (AMI) show by Dr. Karl-Walter Gutberlet, Member of the board of Allianz, and received by Martin Haub, Valeo Vice-President Research & Development and Product Marketing.
The Genius safety award recognizes innovations that are already on the road and which contribute to a safer automotive environment by reducing the number and severity of road accidents. Park4U(TM) was selected by the "Allianz Zentrum für Technik" Automotive GmbH (Allianz Center of Automotive Technology) based on its contribution to preventing damage when parking. This significantly reduces repair costs for drivers and insurance companies. In Germany, for example, one out of three damage claims to car insurers comes from failed parking maneuvers.
"We are honored to receive this safety award for our Park4U(TM) system," said Martin Haub during the ceremony. "This award demonstrates Valeo's ability to offer systems that are not only convenient and easy to use for drivers but that also offer significant safety improvements on the road."
Park4U(TM) offers a new standard of simplicity and safety. After accurately evaluating the available parking space, the system automatically steers the car into the parking slot in a matter of seconds. The driver remains in control by operating acceleration and braking during the maneuver.
Park4U(TM) is a technological breakthrough and an ever-growing commercial success. By 2010, sixteen models will be equipped with the Valeo system. Today it is available on Volkswagen Touran, CrossTouran, Tiguan, Passat and Passat Variant. The next cars featuring the system will be the Volkswagen Passat Coupe and the new Skoda Superb.
Valeo is an independent industrial group dedicated to the design, production and sale of components, integrated systems and modules for cars and trucks. It is one of the world's leading automotive suppliers. The Group has 125 production sites, 62 R&D centers, 9 distribution platforms, and employs 61,200 people in 28 countries.
For more information about the Group and its activities, please visit our web site http://www.valeo.com
For all additional information, please contact:
Claire Vidal-Pilo,
Media relations,
Tel: +33-1-40-55-21-26
claire.vidal-pilo@valeo.com
Sylvie Delion,
Media relations,
Tel: +33-1-40-55-20-96
sylvie.delion@valeo.com
For all additional information, please contact: Claire Vidal-Pilo, Media relations, Tel: +33-1-40-55-21-26, claire.vidal-pilo@valeo.com; Sylvie Delion, Media relations, Tel: +33-1-40-55-20-96, sylvie.delion@valeo.com
