Prudence Foundation Extends Safe Steps Programme to Raise Road Safety Awareness Among School Children

KUALA LUMPUR, 30 January 2018 – Today, international actress and SAFE STEPS Road Safety Ambassador, Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh visited SJK (C) Choong Wen K.L. in Kuala Lumpur as an extension of Prudence Foundation’s SAFE STEPS Road Safety programme. SAFE STEPS is a ground-breaking pan-Asian public service programme aimed at raising awareness at some of the world’s leading causes of death, helping save lives by disseminating clear and simple educational messages through three programmes covering road safety, natural disasters and first aid.

In Malaysia, the number of road crashes is startling. Every year an average of 6,000 - 7,000 people die in road crashes, many of which are children.

Prudence Foundation is the community investment arm of Prudential Corporation Asia. In 2016, the Foundation launched the SAFE STEPS Road Safety programme in partnership with National Geographic and the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), with ambassador, Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh, who has been committed to achieving recognition for road safety as a global public health and development priority since 2008. All road safety education information was approved by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

“In addition to providing educational messages, the SAFE STEPS Road Safety programme also serves as an enabler to drive behavioural change,” said Marc Fancy, Executive Director of Prudence Foundation. “Many people are not aware of just how many people die in road crashes across the world. The statistics are shocking; 500 children are killed on roads across the world every day with road crashes the number one cause of death for 15-29 year olds globally.

At Prudence Foundation, our goal with SAFE STEPS Road Safety is to start educating children from a young age that we all have a role to play in making our roads safer for everyone. We want to avoid people becoming another unfortunate statistic.”

Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh, who is also the Global Road Safety Ambassador for the UN Decade for Road Safety 2011-2020, and the spokesperson for the FIA’s High Level Panel for Road Safety has taken on the role as SAFE STEPS Road Safety Ambassador to support the cause on a pro-bono basis. As part of this year’s campaign, she spent the morning with the students from SJK (C) Choong Wen K.L. to teach them the importance of road safety through fun and educational activities.

“Children are often the victims of road safety accidents. So teaching them the importance of road safety, with vital tips such as what to look out for when crossing the road, why pedestrians should avoid, and how to be aware of the dangers around you on the roads can only be a positive outcome. Through children, we are also able to help reach families as the children can remind their family members to focus on the road and drive safely. This is especially important these days as many people are distracted by their mobile phones while on the road,” said Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh.

“We are thrilled that Prudence Foundation and Michelle Yeoh are here with us today to tell us more about their SAFE STEPS programme and help our students be more aware of how to take care of themselves on the street,” said Mr Wong Shee Fatt, the Headmaster of SJK (C) Choong Wen K.L. “These are crucial lessons that our students need in order to protect themselves and others as they journey through life. It is great to see that SAFE STEPS continues to educate and empower the people of Malaysia to lead safer lives.”

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To view the full press release with photos, please click here.