Too many of these accidents involve trucks or buses.
Volvo is trying to develop products and systems
that prevent accidents in the first place
and ways of reducing the consequences, if an accident occurs.
But we want to do more.
Volvo Group has developed a training program
to increase awareness and teach children how to act safely.
The core of the program are three important words:
STOP before crossing a street.
LOOK both ways and make sure you have eye contact with the driver.
WAVE and wait for the driver to wave back before crossing the street.
This video will show you all the elements
and materials needed to conduct a "Stop. Look. Wave!"-training.
The training is easy.
You do not need a full training to have an impact.
It might be a small step for you, but it is a giant leap for traffic safety.
Since its launch much of it took place via Volvo Group's own employees.
But we want to spread awareness, so material is available for download
and free to use by anyone, meaning even you!
The three main components are:
The program starts with an animated interactive story
about Tim, the truck driver.
Children will follow Tim at work and learn more about trucks.
What they do, how big they are and how to act safely around them.
It is visualized through a PowerPoint presentation
with photos, illustrations, sound effects and animations.
The questions and when to ask them are described in the speaker's notes.
To move along in the story click to the next slide.
Animation and sound will loop until you're ready to move along.
You also have a version without animation or sound.
It can be printed as a handout for the children.
After the interactive story,
you use a street mat, toy truck and toy figures
to emphasize the main messages,
show examples of dangerous situations
and how to handle them.
Children must know that even though they see the truck,
the driver might not see them.
Ask questions about the positions and the driver's visibility.
Point out that the driver must use the mirrors
to see all people on the mat.
Talk about the accident between a truck and a cyclist,
which happens when the truck is turning and the cyclist is unseen.
Demonstrate the trucks' wide turning radius.
The truck cannot turn at the curb.
It moves into the intersection before starting to turn.
It might look like the truck will keep going straight.
When it turns, it creates a dangerous situation
for the cyclist next to the truck.
Demonstrate traffic scenarios:
Show how are car would turn with a cyclist nearby.
How a truck makes the same turn with a cyclist nearby.
Demonstrate a truck's wide turn,
and how easily you think it is going straight ahead.
Finally, a truck with additional traffic. Show how the truck needs to adapt.
If possible, have a real truck, bus or large car
for a demonstration of visibility limitations
to stress the importance of making eye contact with the driver.
Let the children get into the drivers' seat
and experience visibility first hand.
Once they are behind the steering wheel,
ask them to look for their friends in windows and mirrors.
Make sure they know the dangerous places.
Emphasize the driver's limitations,
since he or she cannot check all mirrors at all times.
The material available on
www.volvogroup.com/stoplookwave.
You will find the training material and additional components
such as a Driver's License to be handed out to the children at the end
as a reminder of the main messages.
You can be as creative as you like.
But teach the three magic words that can save lives:
Stop. Look. Wave!
If you care about traffic safety, contact schools, authorities or associations.
Or incorporate it in your child's birthday party.
If you have questions or feedback, please contact us at this address:
The safety of our children in traffic concerns us all.
We 're in this together.
Good luck and remember:
Stop. Look. Wave!