3M announces school zone transformations to increase pedestrian visibility and road safety

100-school commitment to serve as a global model in helping children get to school safely.

Road traffic accidents are the leading cause of death for children five years and older worldwide, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To help protect the lives of our most vulnerable pedestrians—children—3M announced today its commitment to increase safety and visibility in 100 school zones in 23 countries, around the world including the Philippines and ten other countries in Asia by 2024.

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As part of its ongoing commitment to road and transportation safety, 3M commissioned third-party independent research in 11 countries back in 2021 to identify the top concerns of adults relative to getting to and from home safely, as well as their views on the current state of transportation safety in their communities. 

In Asia Pacific (APAC), as many as 46% of those surveyed reported having a family member or close friend who has died or been seriously injured in a traffic accident, significantly higher than the 33% globally. Ranking high among community transportation safety concerns, 84% of parents (vs 75% globally) are concerned about getting their children to and from school safely.

In fact, according to the International Road Assessment Programme’s (iRAP) Vaccines for Roads Big Data Tool, traffic accidents kill nearly 2,000 people and injure 54,000 every day across the Asia Pacific region. In the Philippines, over 65,000 road accidents were recorded in Metro Manila last 2020, averaging 178 road-crash incidents per day.

Improving school zone safety by 2024

3M has been working in communities around the world to help make roads safer for all, with the mission of helping bring families home safely. From this year to 2024, 3M aims to amplify its commitment to keeping roads safe with its school zone transformations. 

Underdeveloped roadways, a lack of crosswalks and poor visibility in school zones put our youngest pedestrians at particular risk when walking and biking to and from school. The rate at which these incidents happen drastically increases within low-income countries and communities indicating a clear need for change, according to the World Health Organization. 3M recognizes the urgency in addressing these dangers and the need for safer school zones. 

“3M’s commitment to improve school zone safety centers on the belief that every child deserves a chance at an education and getting to school safely shouldn’t be a barrier,” says Dr. Dan Chen, president, 3M Transportation Safety Division. “Over the next two years, we will work with NGOs and government agencies to improve safety in school zones and develop a scalable model for high-risk and under-resourced communities to create safer roads for all children.”

“In addition to continuing our advocacy work for improving road safety standards, we at 3M Philippines are committed to helping schools across the country become more secure for their students by keeping the roads around them safe,” said Reggie Pulumbarit, 3M Philippines Country Leader. “We are currently partnering with several local schools and institutions to support our mission to advance safety in school zones and road systems in order to keep our children safe, and their education secure.”

Community collaboration

For more than eight decades, 3M’s Transportation Safety Division has had the mission to advance transportation infrastructure and mobility globally. The installation of high-performance road materials and technologies, like Diamond Grade Reflective Sheeting for school zone signage and Pavement Marking Tape to help improve reflectivity and visibility for motorists and pedestrians, have helped families return home safely. 

And while technology and innovation are necessary steps to create safer road conditions, 3M continues to collaborate and work with communities, civic and government leaders, policymakers, NGOs and other organizations to help lead change and create safer roadway systems globally. 

As a member of the UN Global Compact, 3M believes in the role public-private partnerships can play in solving pressing global issues, such as road and transportation safety. 3M is a signatory of the Call on President Biden to End Roadway Fatalities and a pledge of the United Nations General Assembly Decade of Action for Road Safety to prevent at least 50 percent of road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030.

To get involved and learn more about 3M’s School Zone Road Safety, visit 3M.com/schoolzonesafety.