Matt Ryan Launches New ‘Clifford’ Ebook About Automobile Security

Clifford the Huge Pink Canine is a staple kids’s guide sequence that is served generations of younger readers and households with sound recommendation. Since first printed in 1963, Clifford, the sequence’ title character has change into an emblem of consolation and enjoyable amongst easy, instructional messages.

Now, followers of Clifford close to and much can get excited a few model new entry within the sequence releasing on July 18, titled Clifford Takes a Experience. This new journey follows Clifford and his associates on a journey as they study life-saving security suggestions in and round vehicles.

That is the most recent in a bunch of particularly tailor-made security guidelines books for youngsters that function Clifford and associates–following titles Clifford Takes a Stroll (about security whereas crossing the road), Clifford Takes a Swim (about security within the pool), and Clifford and the Railroad Crossing (about security round trains and railroads).

However this newest guide will not simply be a stand-alone launch. It comes as a part of a multi-state kids’s security marketing campaign, headed by the joint efforts of Scholastic, Mercedes-Benz USA, and the non-profit group Secure Youngsters Worldwide. They’re calling it the “Ebook and Security Tour.”

To kick issues off in an interactive method, a neighborhood security occasion is being held on the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on launch day. Organizers count on 500 YMCA campers to attend. They are going to be handled with a guide studying by former NFL quarterback Matt Ryan, a particular look by Clifford, and quite a lot of interactive security schooling stations overlaying passenger, pedestrian, and bike security.

Additionally they plan to distribute 30,000 free copies of Clifford Takes a Experience to households throughout the nation via Mercedes-Benz dealerships and Secure Youngsters Worldwide coalitions through the marketing campaign.

Matt Ryan Prioritizes Security In His Neighborhood

With the Clifford books being so well-known amongst generations of households, former NFL quarterback Matt Ryan is happy to assist carry the brand new story to caregivers.

“My spouse and I particularly love that the [Clifford] tales are enjoyable and relatable, all whereas instructing an essential lesson every time,” Ryan tells Mother and father. “Clifford Takes a Experience makes studying about automobile security simple for younger children to digest, and it has nice suggestions for fogeys and caregivers to assist children perceive why these subjects are important to implement of their day by day lives.

Ryan calls Atlanta dwelling, which makes pouring into his neighborhood as a Mercedes-Benz ambassador simple for him.

“Giving again to the neighborhood, and particularly to younger children, has at all times been a ardour of mine,” Ryan says. “I’m thrilled to be part of this initiative to assist unfold consciousness across the significance of automobile security.”

Ryan talks about his function to not solely unfold consciousness via neighborhood occasions however to additionally proceed setting the instance inside his circle of relatives, the place he says security is a giant focus.

“We at all times buckle up correctly earlier than the automobile begins and ensure seatbelts are mounted, even when the automobile isn’t transferring,” he says. “We observe our environment earlier than crossing the road and watch for the driving force to say it’s OK to open the door as soon as the automobile is parked. We comply with our household automobile guidelines in each automobile, even when others don’t have the identical security guidelines.”

When evaluating the protection measures wanted on the NFL soccer area to the protection measures wanted in a automobile, Ryan says each require fixed consciousness of your environment, fast decision-making, and anticipating potential hazards.

“On the sector, you are studying defensive schemes and reacting to fast-moving performs–whereas in a automobile, you’re not solely watching site visitors and obeying indicators but in addition being answerable for the protection of your passengers,” he factors out.

On the guide launch and interactive security occasion in Atlanta, Ryan will assist to information children via security classes, together with a motorcycle rodeo and becoming for a helmet they’re going to get to take dwelling. Members will even expertise a crosswalk demo to be taught life-saving pedestrian abilities and take part in a security seat coaching.

“I hope that every child leaves the occasion feeling extra comfy in and round vehicles, and geared up with new security abilities that they’ll cross alongside to their family and friends,” says Ryan.

Making Security Memorable

As a part of the initiative, Secure Youngsters Worldwide’s objective is to make sure children are educated in a enjoyable and memorable method–with Clifford being the catalyst for that.

“At Secure Youngsters, we do our greatest to be protected at dwelling, at college, at play, and on the way in which,” Torine Creppy, Secure Youngsters Worldwide President, tells Mother and father. “What do kids do? They’re using, someplace, someday, each day.”

Creppy is proud to current the guide to households, which she says the group wrote together with the guide writer Scholastic. She hopes it may be simply one other instrument to additional the efforts of stopping unintentional accidents to children.

“Whether or not children are using in a automobile, a bus, or an Uber, the essential factor is to buckle up for each trip,” she says.

She lauds the interactive security occasion correlating with the guide launch, calling it their method of bringing the guide to life for teenagers. She hopes each the “expertise of the guide” together with the Ebook and Security Tour will assist solidify info for households in a enjoyable method.

Creppy additionally praises the interior volunteer workers of Mercedes-Benz, which helps communities in Atlanta and throughout the nation via native college techniques. Via their very own work with native colleges Secure Youngsters jumped on the alternative to work with Mercedes-Benz to, as Creppy places it, “fill the academic hole” for what’s inflicting some unintentional accidents to children in autos.

One of many challenges to making sure households not solely take in however proceed to apply important automobile security practices discovered within the guide is the technological developments of vehicles and automobile seats. The developments may present a false sense of safety in caregivers which may end in a lax strategy to issues like private security checks. Creppy assures they’re staying strategic as educators by staying knowledgeable.

“We do intensive tutorial analysis round new know-how that is coming to market,” says Creppy. “We’re evidence-based, not simply evidence-informed. And [we collect data on] each automobile seat and each automobile make and mannequin to present households real-time info on how they’re alleged to work correctly.

One other problem they face is inequities within the communities they serve. Creppy understands the significance of figuring out useful resource and academic gaps in underserved communities, which might trigger disproportionate results.

“To belief you with security, folks want to grasp what you are saying utilizing plain language,” Creppy notes. “Additionally they have to know what it means to be equitable. Giving everybody a pair of sneakers is likely to be truthful–but when the sneakers do not match, that is not being equitable.”

A 3rd problem–that is truly lined in Clifford Takes a Experience–is the very actual risk that caregivers shall be tempted by conveniences, similar to leaving your child within the automobile when you run into the shop. Creppy urges caregivers to withstand this, saying children should not be left within the automobile, “not even for a minute.”

She additionally shares an acronym used at Secure Youngsters Worldwide to assist households keep in mind the steps to take as an alternative: A.C.T.–which stands for Keep away from (comfort that may result in hurt), Create (reminders for your self and for teenagers concerning the guidelines), Take motion (whenever you see one thing flawed, like a toddler or pet left in one other automobile alone).

Creppy says that with how simply our brains can shift to “autopilot”, particularly after we’re in a rush, we won’t afford to lean on conveniences that may result in unintentional accidents within the automobile.

A ‘Social Accountability’ to Security

Mercedes-Benz President and CEO Dimitris Psillakis tells Mother and father about partnering with Secure Youngsters Worldwide to teach households about automobile security, which he calls a part of their “bigger company social accountability mission known as Driving Your Future.” He sees the team-up as a pure alternative as a result of group’s unwavering dedication to conserving kids protected in all environments.

They level to inside knowledge, stating that in 2020, 607 youngster passengers had been killed in motorized vehicle crashes and over 63,000 extra had been injured. This impressed each Mercedes-Benz and Secure Youngsters Worldwide to band collectively to carry security schooling to caregivers nationally.

“We imagine that by educating kids and their households early on about security, we aren’t solely defending lives but in addition fostering a tradition of security that we hope will resonate for generations to come back,” says Psillakis.

“From right here [in Atlanta], our Ebook and Security Tour will cease in extra communities via the assist of Secure Youngsters Worldwide and our MBUSA worker volunteers throughout the nation,” Psillakis added. “We’re dedicated to ongoing security schooling and can proceed to collaborate with our companions and interact in our communities throughout the nation.”