DALIAN, Nov. 15, 2007 – FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) and the world’s largest express transportation company, joined Safe Kids Worldwide to kick off their Safe Kids Walk This Way program at Dongbei Road Primary School in Dalian today. Twenty-five local FedEx employees volunteered their time to educate students about pedestrian safety.
As an increasingly popular tourist destination and a rapidly developing economy, Dalian has experienced a dramatic increase in the number of cars on the road. Traffic-related issues are of growing a concern for the Dalian government. According to a Dalian Traffic Administration report, traffic accidents have become the second largest cause of unnatural deaths for primary school students.1 Programs like Safe Kids Walk This Way will play a crucial role in mitigating this problem.
“Based on a Safety Awareness Survey among 500 Dalian primary school children, nearly 60% of the students noted damage to the sidewalks and 43.79% complained of difficulty crossing the street.” said Eddy Chan, senior vice president, FedEx China. “In order to combat this issue, Safe Kids and FedEx are establishing an important long-term safety education program through Walk This Way in Dalian. FedEx and its dedicated employees will continue to work together with local government officials to develop engaging programs to teach our children pedestrian safety knowledge as well as increase public awareness of this ongoing issue.”
At the event, FedEx employee volunteers donated Safe Kids Walk This Way road safety curriculum to Dongbei Road Primary School, played pedestrian education games with the students and practiced safe walking exercises in a nearby street, arming students with basic pedestrian behavior and road safety knowledge.
After its successful initial launch in China in 2004, the Safe Kids Walk This Way has expanded to include key cities in northern China. To date, the FedEx-Safe Kids partnership has sponsored safety education for more than a million students through programs in 2,000 primary schools throughout the country. More than 500 FedEx employees have volunteered their time to educate students about road safety through interesting games and demonstrations. Together, their work has helped create safer environments for child pedestrians in school zones across the country.
As a company that champions social responsibility, FedEx employees have worked tirelessly to create safe, healthy environments in the communities in which they work and live. Through the joint effort with Safe Kids Worldwide, FedEx helps extend the positive impact of the Safe Kids Walk This Way initiative in China and raise public awareness of the critical need to reduce the number of road-related injuries to children.
1Dalian Traffic Safety Education Website (http://www.dlxiaohan.com/ShowArticle.asp?ArticleID=1119)
