Zero Traffic Accident Prevention Education Emphasizes Aiming for No Injuries or Fatalities on Roadways
Toyota's Safety Education Center, "mobilitas," is making waves in the realm of road safety education. Located at the Fuji Speedway site in Oyama, Shizuoka, this unique center offers a 100,000 m flat course, 35-degree banks, and a slick low-friction road, providing participants with the opportunity to experience driving, steering, and braking under conditions not found on ordinary roads [1].
The center's mission is to educate drivers about the limits of cars and promote safe driving. It achieves this primarily through long-term road safety education initiatives tailored especially for children and senior citizens [1]. The aim is to raise awareness of safe driving and traffic safety, contributing to a society with zero traffic casualties.
Nunogaki, the General Manager of the Corporate Citizenship Division that handles the planning and operation of mobilitas, sought guidance from Morizo when launching the program. Morizo advised Nunogaki to consider safety, fun, and eco-friendliness as interconnected elements, not separate ones [1]. This approach was adopted in the mobilitas course, which also emphasizes Toyota's "fun to drive" ethos.
The Driving Data Measurement Program is a key feature of the mobilitas course. This program measures and graphs the G-forces exerted during turns, acceleration, and braking, helping participants understand their driving mistakes and improve their skills [1].
Nunogaki believes that genuine care for safety should be rooted in experience, not just classroom learning. He hopes that firsthand experience will lead people to think more about safety [1]. Participants have reported that the course helps them understand their driving mistakes and have more fun driving on regular roads.
The mobilitas course reservations fill up within two or three days when they open two months in advance, reflecting its popularity.
Moving forward, Nunogaki emphasizes the importance of placing greater emphasis on the emotional aspects of safety programs. The human element of the approach includes awareness-raising activities aimed at drivers and pedestrians [1].
The Advanced Technical Skills Institute Division assisted in translating this approach into specific course content, providing specialized training that helps drivers, including the elderly who tend to have higher accident rates, understand their own driving capabilities and limitations, as well as the intrinsic limitations of vehicles, enhancing their safe driving skills to prevent accidents [1].
Toyota is pursuing a three-pronged approach to eliminating traffic casualties, focusing on safety technologies and human awareness. The Tateshina Meeting held on July 18, 2022, provided a new direction for educating people about car safety [1]. The mobilitas course is a testament to Toyota's commitment to achieving safe, inclusive mobility for all, covering people with disabilities, children, and the elderly, by addressing factors that restrict freedom of movement such as traffic accidents [1].
[1] Source: Toyota's official website and various news articles.
- To complement its focus on road safety education, Toyota's Safety Education Center, "mobilitas," is planning to incorporate modules on health-and-wellness, science, and fitness-and-exercise, encouraging a holistic approach to safe driving that includes personal health and well-being.
- As part of its three-pronged approach to eliminating traffic casualties, Toyota is considering integrating science lessons into the mobilitas course, teaching participants about the physics of vehicles and road safety, ultimately helping them make more informed and safer driving decisions.
