Jul 30, 201208:20 AMDaily News
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New campaign aims to reduce child traffic fatalities
In an effort to reduce traffic accidents among children, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began a new campaign aimed directly at kids.
The NHTSA joined forces with Ludorum’s popular children’s show Chuggington to create the “Think Safe, Ride Safe, Be Safe!” campaign. The program promotes transportation safety guidance provided by the NHTSA’s recommended guidelines to children.
The campaign offers instructions for families about car seat, school bus, bicycle and pedestrian safety. It teaches kids basic practices, such as looking both ways before crossing the street.
The NHTSA is using the Chuggington characters—Koko, Wilson, and Brewster—to reach and generate interest amongst children. The trio has been used in PSAs on Disney Channel’s Disney Junior programming block—which is when Chugginton is aired—as well as in activity books and other materials promoting safety.
The cornerstone of the entire program is a safety pledge for kids that makes them promise to always use a seatbelt, wear a helmet and cross the street with an adult. More than 170,000 children have signed the pledge so far.
The NHTSA plans to use seasonal traffic messages, school curriculum materials, social media promotions and even a free downloadable app to spread the cause. Other materials include the program’s website, www.chuggington.com/safety, which features activities and games for kids, as well as tip sheets for parents on the NHTSA website. The sheets include information about car seats and how to increase children’s pedestrian and bicycling safety.
Kurt Bopp is assistant editor/web for Central Penn Parent.
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