A group of Kindergarteners was introduced to the concept of truck safety thanks to Volvo’s new truck safety program. 

Volvo has launched a new truck safety program aimed at young children, and the company’s first stop on the program tour was at Sternberger Elementary School in Greensboro, North Carolina this week. 

According to WXII 12, Volvo’s “stop, look, and wave” policy when crossing the street in front of semi trucks helps prevent thousands of semi truck crashes involving pedestrians a year. 

“So much of that is because trucks have a hard time seeing what’s around them. They’re so high up they have to really look over all around them,” Maddie Sullivan, product marketing manager for Volvo, said. “So if you’re getting right next to a truck or right in front of a truck, it’s going to be really hard to see. So you have to make sure that you not only look both ways to see if a truck is coming but make sure that you can make eye contact with our truck when they see the road.” 

Fifteen volunteers from Volvo guided the Kindergarteners through six different stations, teaching the children how to wear safety vests, navigate specific traffic situations as a pedestrian, and especially how to be safe around semi trucks. The children were also able to climb inside of a semi truck and learn how it operates. 

“It’s going to really help to minimize any kind of accidents they’re involved in, the truck and a pedestrian,” said Sullivan.