Matt Ryan Launches New ‘Clifford’ Guide About Automotive Security

Clifford the Large Crimson Canine is a staple youngsters’s e book collection that is served generations of younger readers and households with sound recommendation. Since first printed in 1963, Clifford, the collection’ title character has develop into an emblem of consolation and enjoyable amongst easy, academic messages.

Now, followers of Clifford close to and much can get excited a few model new entry within the collection releasing on July 18, titled Clifford Takes a Experience. This new journey follows Clifford and his mates on a journey as they find out about life-saving security ideas in and round automobiles.

That is the newest in a gaggle of particularly tailor-made security guidelines books for youngsters that function Clifford and mates–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 e book will not simply be a stand-alone launch. It comes as a part of a multi-state youngsters’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 “Guide and Security Tour.”

To kick issues off in an interactive means, a group 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 e book studying by former NFL quarterback Matt Ryan, a particular look by Clifford, and quite a few interactive security schooling stations masking passenger, pedestrian, and bike security.

In addition 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 throughout the marketing campaign.

Matt Ryan Prioritizes Security In His Group

With the Clifford books being so well-known amongst generations of households, former NFL quarterback Matt Ryan is worked up 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 educating an essential lesson every time,” Ryan tells Mother and father. “Clifford Takes a Experience makes studying about automotive security straightforward for younger children to digest, and it has nice ideas for folks and caregivers to assist children perceive why these subjects are important to implement of their day by day lives.

Ryan calls Atlanta residence, which makes pouring into his group as a Mercedes-Benz ambassador straightforward for him.

“Giving again to the group, 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 automotive security.”

Ryan talks about his position to not solely unfold consciousness via group 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 automotive begins and ensure seatbelts are mounted, even when the automotive 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 automotive is parked. We observe our household automotive guidelines in each automotive, even when others don’t have the identical security guidelines.”

When evaluating the security measures wanted on the NFL soccer discipline to the security measures wanted in a automotive, 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 alerts but additionally being accountable for the security of your passengers,” he factors out.

On the e book 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 residence. Individuals may also expertise a crosswalk demo to study life-saving pedestrian abilities and take part in a security seat coaching.

“I hope that every child leaves the occasion feeling extra snug in and round automobiles, and geared up with new security abilities that they will move alongside to their family and friends,” says Ryan.

Making Security Memorable

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

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

Creppy is proud to current the e book to households, which she says the group wrote together with the e book 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 automotive, 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 e book launch, calling it their means of bringing the e book to life for youths. She hopes each the “expertise of the e book” together with the Guide and Security Tour will assist solidify info for households in a enjoyable means.

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

One of many challenges to making sure households not solely take up however proceed to observe important automotive security practices realized within the e book is the technological developments of automobiles and automotive seats. The developments might present a false sense of safety in caregivers that may lead to a lax method to issues like private security checks. Creppy assures they’re staying strategic as educators by staying knowledgeable.

“We do in depth educational 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 automotive seat and each automotive make and mannequin to offer households real-time info on how they’re imagined 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 know what you are saying utilizing plain language,” Creppy notes. “In addition they must 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 really lined in Clifford Takes a Experience–is the very actual chance that caregivers shall be tempted by conveniences, comparable to leaving your child within the automotive when you run into the shop. Creppy urges caregivers to withstand this, saying children should not be left within the automotive, “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 youths concerning the guidelines), Take motion (whenever you see one thing mistaken, like a baby or pet left in one other automotive alone).

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

A ‘Social Duty’ to Security

Mercedes-Benz President and CEO Dimitris Psillakis tells Mother and father about partnering with Secure Youngsters Worldwide to coach households about automotive security, which he calls a part of their “bigger company social duty 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 youngsters secure in all environments.

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

“We consider that by educating youngsters and their households early on about security, we’re not solely defending lives but additionally fostering a tradition of security that we hope will resonate for generations to come back,” says Psillakis.

“From right here [in Atlanta], our Guide 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 have interaction in our communities throughout the nation.”