BANGKOK, May 28, 2013—FedEx Express, the world’s largest express transportation company and a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX), together with Safe Kids Thailand, today reinforced its commitment to raising public awareness of child pedestrian safety by hosting Thailand’s first Long Short Walk exhibition at Saranrom Park. This activity is part of the United Nations Road Safety Week with ‘Pedestrian Safety’ as the theme.
A key feature of the exhibition was the “Long Short Walk” signboard, which featured feedback and signatures from people who were asked by children to comment on pedestrian safety in the city. The feedback was gathered over three days from April 24-26 when the children joined the global “Long Short Walk” movement with walks occurring at three key Bangkok landmarks—Victory Monument, Siam Square and Central World. People were also encouraged to log in and share their photos, videos and comments on the global website http://www.mylongshortwalk.org/
This is the third year FedEx has worked with Safe Kids Thailand in events designed to raise awareness of children’s vulnerability to careless driving behavior among motorists and motorcyclists in a city where traffic accidents are one of the leading causes of death among children. The ‘Long Short Walk’ Exhibition, along with “Safe Kids Walk to School Day” and the “Safe Kids PHOTOVOICE’ Exhibition”, aim to raise awareness among government officials and the general public to initiate policy changes that would create safer driving practices and a safer environment for child pedestrians.
FedEx support of Safe Kids Thailand began in 2011 as a direct response to the significant number of injuries and fatalities from road accidents among child pedestrians. At the time, a report prepared by the Child Safety Promotion & Injury Prevention Research Center (CSIP) claimed more than 21,000 children suffered injuries each year as a result of traffic accidents, with an estimated 700 to 900 fatalities annually among youngsters under the age of fifteen.
About Safe Kids Walk This Way
The Walk This Way program was created by Safe Kids Worldwide and FedEx in the United States in 2000. The program has reached more than a million students and thousands of schools in countries including Brazil, Canada, China, Korea, Thailand, the Philippines and the United States. Walk This Way is a multifaceted program that includes education, safety task forces that make environmental improvements to areas where children walk, research and law enforcement, all working to promote child pedestrian safety.
FedEx Corp., the exclusive corporate sponsor of the Safe Kids Walk This Way program, provides safety expertise and assists in the collection of research data to document the problems faced by child pedestrians. With financial assistance from FedEx, Safe Kids Worldwide also helps fund pedestrian safety task forces in high-risk areas. FedEx volunteers conduct classroom education, escort children to and from school on International Walk to School Day and serve on school-based pedestrian safety committees. Every October, more than 1,000 FedEx volunteers in more than 150 cities around the world work with Safe Kids to keep children safe. For more information about Walk This Way, visit www.usa.safekids.org/wtw.
About Safe Kids Worldwide
Safe Kids Worldwide is a global network of organizations whose mission is to prevent accidental childhood injury, a leading killer of children fourteen and under. More than 450 coalitions in nineteen countries bring together health and safety experts, educators, corporations, foundations, governments and volunteers to educate and protect families. The organization is dedicated to the prevention of unintentional injuries such as road traffic injuries, falls, burns, drowning and poisoning. The Safe Kids, Walk This Way program has been adapted to match the specific conditions of Thailand and to ensure the greatest effectiveness of the project.
About FedEx Express
FedEx Express is the world’s largest express transportation company, providing fast and reliable delivery to more than 220 countries and territories worldwide. FedEx Express uses a global air-and-ground network to speed delivery of time-sensitive shipments, by a definite time and date with a money-back guarantee[1].
About FedEx Corp.
FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) provides customers and businesses worldwide with a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services. With annual revenues of $44 billion, the company offers integrated business applications through operating companies competing collectively and managed collaboratively, under the respected FedEx brand. Consistently ranked among the world’s most admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its more than 300,000 team members to remain “absolutely, positively” focused on safety, the highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of their customers and communities. For more information, visit news.fedex.com.
[1] Subject to relevant terms and conditions