From drivers, let’s move on to safety education for pedestrians, in particular children. Perhaps some of our readers will recognize these picture books.

These traffic safety picture books have been produced by Toyota’s Corporate Citizenship Division, together with organizations such as the Japan Traffic Safety Association (JTSA), since 1969. With the help of dealerships around Japan, they have been distributed as educational materials for young children.

The first issue was published during a period known as the “First Traffic War,” when accident fatalities were becoming an increasingly serious social issue. Annual casualties first exceeded 10,000 in 1959, steadily rising to a peak of 16,765 in 1970.

Of the accidents involving pedestrians, casualties spiked among seven-year-olds. The books were created to help eliminate such accidents by educating preschool children about road safety.

In more than half a century since, the characters and wording gradually changed. Still, one aspect has remained constant: focusing on the dangers of children walking unattended or running onto the road.

According to studies by Japan’s National Police Agency, these two factors made up more than half of all pedestrian casualties among young children between 2010 and 2019, accounting for 35.1% (61 casualties) and 20.1% (35 casualties), respectively*.

^{*Source: National Police Agency traffic accident data analysis, “Traffic Accidents Involving Young Children—Number of Pedestrian Casualties (Preschool/Kindergarten) by Type of Legal Violation”}

Unlike adults, children may not understand what is dangerous about running out onto a road, which is why grown-ups must set an example.

Toyota’s latest book, put out in the spring of 2023, includes messages to help parents teach their children about safety. The idea is to also inform parents about what to look out for as they read to their kids.

JTSA Secretary-General Etsuki Inoue emphasizes the books’ importance for parents and children alike. “The moment a parent lets go of their hand, a child will go after whatever catches their eye. While these picture books are aimed at kids, we also want parents to know how children behave.”

Regarding education for children, he adds, “Young children start with a blank slate and have to learn how to live in our complex transport society. To assist them, we must start by teaching them the importance of the basic rules, and ensuring these are followed to avoid causing trouble for others.”

Toyota’s traffic safety books and picture shows are helping to spread awareness among parents and kindergartens.

United Toyota Kumamoto, a dealership based in that prefecture, began running traffic safety classes in 2017 after picture book recipients suggested the idea.

Classes held at Hitoyoshi Kindergarten (Hitoyoshi City, Kumamoto) last October featured book readings accompanied by a picture show, along with interactive lessons on using pedestrian crossings and the effect of seatbelts.

Hitoyoshi Kindergarten also uses these materials outside of such classes to make traffic safety part of everyday teaching, particularly when accidents appear in the news.

Given the limited materials available for teaching young children about traffic rules and personal safety, these books and picture shows are vital tools. Perhaps due to this lack of other materials, in children’s minds the books’ main character, Cuccu, is now synonymous with learning about road safety.

Parents say that with few opportunities to teach kids about road rules, the classes and picture books are a great help. Some would even like to see such instruction offered more regularly, since the awareness gained from safety classes and book readings fades over time.

Looking beyond the picture books’ target audience of preschool children, Inoue commented on the outlook for traffic safety education.

“Since July, we have seen the emergence of (electric) scooters (as a means of transportation). With many different people using the roads and sidewalks, I think the challenge (for traffic safety education) will be integrating the concept of sharing the streets and looking out for yourself and others. To put it simply, traffic etiquette. I think that is what’s important.”

Whether driver or pedestrian, safety is about using the road with consideration for not just yourself but also the people around you.

At the Tateshina Meeting, this spirit of selflessness was expressed as “love,” which, alongside the three-pronged approach, became a keyword for achieving zero traffic casualties.

Both the courses for drivers and the safety classes for little pedestrians are about more than simply teaching skills and rules. By becoming familiar with cars, drivers and pedestrians alike learn to care about each other, moving closer to a society with zero traffic accidents.