Matt Ryan Launches New ‘Clifford’ Ebook About Automotive Security

Clifford the Large Pink Canine is a staple kids’s e-book 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 a logo of consolation and enjoyable amongst easy, academic messages.

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

That is the most recent in a gaggle of particularly tailor-made security guidelines books for youngsters that function Clifford and pals–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 kids’s security marketing campaign, headed by the joint efforts of Scholastic, Mercedes-Benz USA, and the non-profit group Protected Children 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 e-book studying by former NFL quarterback Matt Ryan, a particular look by Clifford, and a variety of interactive security training stations overlaying passenger, pedestrian, and bike security.

Additionally they plan to distribute 30,000 free copies of Clifford Takes a Trip to households throughout the nation by way of Mercedes-Benz dealerships and Protected Children Worldwide coalitions in the course of 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 necessary lesson every time,” Ryan tells Mother and father. “Clifford Takes a Trip makes studying about automotive security simple for younger children to digest, and it has nice ideas for fogeys and caregivers to assist children perceive why these matters are important to implement of their each day lives.

Ryan calls Atlanta house, 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 automotive security.”

Ryan talks about his function to not solely unfold consciousness by way of neighborhood occasions however to additionally proceed setting the instance inside his family, 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 fixed, even when the automotive isn’t transferring,” he says. “We observe our environment earlier than crossing the road and look forward to the motive 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 protection measures wanted on the NFL soccer discipline to the protection 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 in addition being accountable for the protection of your passengers,” he factors out.

On the e-book launch and interactive security occasion in Atlanta, Ryan will assist to information children by way of security classes, together with a motorcycle rodeo and becoming for a helmet they’re going to get to take house. Contributors may even expertise a crosswalk demo to study life-saving pedestrian expertise and take part in a security seat coaching.

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

Making Security Memorable

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

“At Protected Children, we do our greatest to be protected at house, at college, at play, and on the best way,” Torine Creppy, Protected Children Worldwide President, tells Mother and father. “What do kids do? They’re using, someplace, someday, every 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 necessary 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 method of bringing the e-book to life for youths. She hopes each the “expertise of the e-book” together with the Ebook and Security Tour will assist solidify data for households in a enjoyable method.

Creppy additionally praises the inner volunteer employees of Mercedes-Benz, which helps communities in Atlanta by way of the native college system. By their very own work with native faculties Protected Children 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 occur to children in automobiles.

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

“We do in depth 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 automotive seat and each automotive make and mannequin to present households real-time data 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, individuals 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 footwear is likely to be honest–but when the footwear do not match, that is not being equitable.”

A 3rd problem–that is truly coated in Clifford Takes a Trip–is the very actual chance that caregivers will likely 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 Protected Children Worldwide to assist households keep in mind the steps to take as a substitute: 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 (once 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 Accountability’ to Security

Mercedes-Benz President and CEO Dimitris Psillakis tells Mother and father about partnering with Protected Children Worldwide to coach households about automotive security, which he calls a part of their “bigger company social duty mission.” He sees the team-up as a pure alternative as a result of group’s unwavering dedication to holding kids protected in all environments.

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

“We consider 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 further communities by way of the assist of Protected Children Worldwide and our MBUSA worker volunteers throughout the nation,” Psillakis added. “We’re dedicated to ongoing security training and can proceed to collaborate with our companions and interact in our communities throughout the nation.”