The Beijing leg of the 2016 BMW Children's Traffic Safety Education program began in Olympic Forest Park on May 31, as part of the 12th edition of the annual event, which will focus on child safety seats in a bid to lower child casualty rates in traffic incidents across the country.

The German automaker, which is currently celebrating its centenary, will also open its first permanent Children's Traffic Safety Education Experience Center in Liaoning province.

The program features interactive games to make children more aware of the dangers of road traffic.

Themed "Joining Hands Big and Small, Together We Care for Children's Traffic Safety," the activity will take place in six cities - Beijing, Shanghai, Shenyang, Hefei, Wuhan and Foshan - to teach children about road safety.

"The BMW Children's Traffic Safety Education is BMW's first corporate social responsibility project in China," said Anton Heiss, president & CEO, BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd, at the opening ceremony. "After operating for 12 years, the program has toured around 63 cities, and equipped about 390,000 parents and children with road safety knowledge and skills.

"We are glad to make efforts and contribute to a safer environment for the children. This is the motivation of our persistence in CSR," he continued.

By 2015, 300,000 sets of booklets on road safety had been distributed to children across the country, and this year, the Traffic Safety Education Book for Primary and Secondary School Students, jointly published by BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd and China Communications Press Co Ltd, is being given to program participants, as well as middle school students in regions around the six cities where the event is being held.

Li Zejun, sub-inspector at the traffic management bureau of the Ministry of Public Security, said: "Children's road safety is not only the responsibility of the government bodies, but also all the parents' responsibility.

"Each parent should proactively learn more about road safety, and set a good example for their children."

Li also called for more companies to get involved with public welfare activities, as well as more media attention for the issue of children's road safety to combat the high number of child casualties in traffic accidents.

Safety seat awareness

BMW Children's Traffic Safety Education program has expanded its focus this year to include parents, with the aim of raising awareness of the importance of child safety seats.

This year's event features a Child Safety Seat Crash Simulator, which uses a 10-kilogram stuffed bear to give parents a graphic demonstration of what can happen when a child is not firmly secured in the event of an accident.

With the simulator set for a collision at 20 km/h, the bear was thrown from the lap of a crash test dummy, despite the fact that a seat belt secured both the bear and dummy. The bear was also thrown forward when it was seated alone, fastened with an adult safety belt.

"The device demonstrates how a parent might risk his or her child's life when a car is not equipped with a safety seat. In a real accident, the car would be traveling much faster and the scenario could be worse," said Yang Meihong, vice-president of BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd.

Traffic is the leading cause of death and injury among children in China. Statistics from the Ministry of Public Security show that about 11,500 children under the age of 12 died in traffic accidents every year. In-car injuries suffered during a crash are the main reason for the deaths of children under 17, because of the low usage of child safety seats.

"Parents can face stiff charges in Germany when babies and young children are not secured in a child safety seat and are injured or killed in an accident," Yang said.

"We are looking to help tackle a pressing social issue in a focused way. Our dealers and associates, and our customers, have all come together to make a contribution to society," Yang added.

The carmaker is putting three core aims at the heart of its activities focusing on corporate social responsibility: Addressing critical social problems, engaging for long-term commitment, and engaging all stakeholders.

BMW began its Children's Traffic Safety Education program in China in 2005, making it one of the first carmakers to engage in CSR projects.

The BMW Traffic Safety Handbook for School Children and AnAn's Story TV series are popular with both children and their parents across China.

Highlights of traffic awareness program

A toy bear named AnAn has taken on the role of a child to educate children and their parents in a range of events during the program. AnAn is also featured in related safety publications

AnAn Train-the-Trainer Classroom

The instructor from BMW Academy discusses road safety and demonstrates how to use a child safety seat.

AnAn Innovation Club

The club features learning and encourages thinking through parent-child interactions.

AnAn Dollschat Club

The "AnAn Dollschat Club" creates a fascinating interactive space in which children learn about traffic safety through fun games and activities.

AnAn Traffic School

Children drive mini cars to put into practice what they have learned about traffic safety and awareness.

Haoyan@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 06/06/2016 page19)