Volkswagen Philippines, the official importer and distributor of Volkswagen vehicles in the country, recently began its “Steps to Safety” campaign last May 20 to 21 at the Robinson’s Magnolia mall in Quezon City.
The said campaign served as part of the brand’s award-winning Child Safety Initiative (CSI) program which took flight during the 2015 Manila International Auto Show (MIAS). In recap, the Volkswagen Steps to Safety is the next level for those who’ve graduated from the CSI’s Junior Driving Course. With the addition of the Steps to Safety campaign, also became and avenue for kids 9 to 12 years old to experience, early on, the importance of safe and responsible road use as a pedestrian.
The event saw a number of fun yet educational activities for both the Junior Driving Course and the Steps to Safety participants. As before, the Junior Driving Course featured a simulated community complete with roads, signage, and traffic lights, among others. The kids were tasked to drive Volkswagen push cars under the guidance of expert driving instructors. Of course, parents had their share of knowledge, too, especially when it comes to safe and proper behavior on the road.
The Steps to Safety participants, on the other hand, began with a 15-minute seminar focusing on pedestrian safety. In the seminar, various modules were discussed, including fundamentals such as Plan (finding the safest way to cross), Stop (before stepping onto the road), and Look (observing and looking for oncoming vehicles on both sides of the road before crossing).
The modules also gave out tips on safe pedestrian crossing. These include avoiding walking at night or when it’s raining, being extra visible by wearing bright clothes, being aware of lights and sounds coming from approaching vehicles, making eye-contact with drivers before crossing, and following pedestrian traffic signs/lights.
In addition, the “right of way” on crossing roads with and without pedestrian lanes was discussed as well. For roads with pedestrian lanes, the one crossing the street has the right of way. On the other hand for roads without pedestrian lanes, the vehicles have the right of way, and that crossing the street is safe when both sides of the road are clear.
Part 2 of the Steps to Safety had the kids use a virtual reality (VR) simulator to apply the module lessons learned. The VR presented the kids with realistic representations of a community with pedestrian lanes, vehicles, road signs, and traffic lights. Kids were tasked to safely walk and cross the streets while paying attention to pedestrians, cars, and different signs, lights. To enlighten the parents, Volkswagen also set up a display area featuring different samples of child seats for automobiles.
