This Children’s Day, 6100+ kids pledge to be ‘Little Road Officers’ with Honda
Mumbai: Firmly believing that the children of today, make the India of tomorrow, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. celebrated Children’s Day 2020 with a twist. Taking toward its vision of ‘Safety for Everyone’ on roads, Honda celebrated with the unique ‘Little Road Officers’ initiative – a nation-wide digital road safety awareness drive to inculcate healthy road usage habits among 6,100+ school children across India. After all, a child made aware on road safety, is not only a safe road user and a true Safety ambassador of society today but a responsible rider for life!
Adopting new ways to further spread road safety awareness in the new norm of COVID-19, Honda started its digital road safety awareness program called ‘Honda Road Safety E-Gurukul’. Designed under Honda Road Safety E-Gurukul umbrella, Honda’s Little Road Officers training sensitized over 6,100 students between 4th to 8th standard. Honda’s road safety instructors across India reached out to over 50 schools across 17 cities in 3 days.
Speaking on this occasion, Mr. Prabhu Nagaraj, Senior Vice President – Brand & Communications, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. said, “Children are the real strength of a nation. Honda firmly believes that learning and good road safety habits can be inculcated at young age. On the joyous occasion of children’s day, Honda mentored the Little Road Officers who not only learnt the basics of road safety themselves but will further share it with their friends and family. With kids remaining at the focal point of Honda, we are further committed to educate more children on important aspects of safe riding habits.”
Key activities of Honda’s Children’s Day celebration:
Making learning fun on this serious topic, Honda’s road safety instructors co-related road safety rules with practical activities that kids do in their daily lives. To further enhance kids’ retention on road safety, the one-hour interactive digital training session was divided in 3 phases:
1. Road safety tips for kids themselves: In first phase, the kids learnt some most important tips like safe pedestrian tips (cross the road using zebra crossing, walk on the opposite direction of traffic in absence of pavement etc); safe cycling tips (brake, bell & tyre check, ensuring reflectors on cycles etc); road signs & markings (mandatory, warning & informative signs). Children were even given guidance on how to safely commute in school bus (do not stand in a running bus, do not distract the driver).
2. Learning session on how children can contribute to making their parents & relatives safer on roads: In second phase, safety instructors taught the kids various road safety measures that they can tell to or ensure while traveling with their parents or relatives. This included vehicle check (checking brake, tyre, fuel & lights of vehicles before leaving from home); riding gears & seat belts (appropriate clothing, importance of helmet & seat belts); role of speed (high speed vs low speed) and some simple do’s & don’ts (how to move in & out of car, no aggression on roads).
3. Oath ceremony: In the end, kids pledged to follow the road safety rules and become the Little Road Officer of their home.
Honda’s legacy in Road Safety promotion:
In 1970, Honda became the first automobile manufacturers to promote safe driving activities. For 50 years since then, Honda has been committed to provide safety education not only to riders but to everyone sharing the road. Working under the global safety slogan, “Safety for everyone”, Honda has expanded its road safety to 41 countries and regions throughout the world.
Especially in India, where the first time riders are increasing every year, Honda 2Wheelers India has provided safety education & training to more than 38 lac individuals under its three pillars. Honda’s 14 Traffic Training Parks conducts daily educational programs for kids & adults. Honda’s 6 adopted Safety Driving Education Centers across India provide training to learner license applicants & traffic rule violators. Additionally, Honda also promotes safety education at its dealerships and through regular digital road safety trainings in schools, colleges, societies & corporates.