A girl moving across a crosswalk on her way to school in the morning.

A Safer Journey to School

3M’s mission to help bring families home safely starts with making roads safer for all. The newest school zone project is helping to further this mission using 3M technologies in communities around the world.

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3M’s Commitment

How 3M technologies are helping make school zones safer for students around the world.

Albert often walks his niece Ila to school. When asked what the road to her school was like, Albert says, “It’s really not very safe.”

All around the world, children like Ila must walk to school on unsafe roads. Parents and families fear for the safety of the children walking to and from school in heavy traffic and busy intersections.

“We cross several streets, several of them are very large, very busy and we don't have adequate education on road safety issues in the city or in the area where we live,” says Albert.

In his role as a member of Ila’s school parent council, Albert advocates strongly for the need to strengthen safety in the area around the school. "In the absence of proper signages, our hope is for the school to work with local governments to install appropriate signs," he said, “as we cannot do this alone”
However, support from the community is also needed to effect these changes. Something that 3M's school zone projects is addressing amongst communities around the world.

Despite these challenges, he is adamant that he wants to make a difference for his niece Ila and her classmates.

"I want the children to not only enjoy going to school, but also to be happy that they are safe on their way there and home”

To ensure students' safety, signs and visibility around school zones must be enhanced.

For more than 80 years, 3M has worked within communities around the world to create safer roads for all with the mission of bringing families home safely. The latest School Zone projects contribute to further this mission by leveraging 3M technologies to communities that need it most. Technologies like Diamond Grade Reflective Sheeting for school zone signage and Pavement Marking Tape all help make students more visible to passing cars.

“By raising more awareness on school zone safety issues, we will be more successful in helping to improve school zone safety standards.” Victor Cabrera, Director of the 3M Transportation Safety Division for Latin America, explains 3M’s commitment to keeping a vulnerable population safe as they access education.

“We’re partnering with teachers, students, parents, local NGOs, and also governments to not only make this a brand campaign but to really make this a commitment that will leave a better future for kids around the globe,” he says. “By raising more awareness on school zone safety issues, we will be more successful in helping to improve school zone safety standards.”

A mother walking her daughter to school.

School Zone Safety

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Did you know that pedestrian injuries cause 23% of Road traffic collision (RTC) mortality worldwide?

Source: WHO 2018
Did you know that only 46 countries have laws that meet best practice criteria for speed?

Source: WHO 2018
Did you know that crash injuries are estimated to be the eighth leading cause of death globally for all age groups and the leading cause of death for children and young people 5-29 of age?

Source: WHO 2018