Sure! Honda began its efforts to raise awareness of traffic safety more than 50 years ago, establishing in 1970 the Safe Driving Promotion Division, to which we belong.

Traffic accidents are said to occur when there is an imbalance between people, cars, and the environment. At the time, Japan was experiencing a rapid increase in the number of people with driving licenses due to the car boom during the period of high economic growth, but this imbalance led to an increase in the number of deaths in traffic accidents, which became a major social problem. Faced with this situation, then-president Soichiro Honda and vice president Takeo Fujisawa felt that traffic accidents could be eliminated by providing safe vehicles alone, and it was Honda’s responsibility to inform people about the proper way to drive. This is what led to the establishment of the Safe Driving Promotion Division.

Honda has set a goal of achieving zero fatalities in traffic accidents involving Honda motorcycles and automobiles worldwide by 2050, and is evolving the three components of “Honda Safety”: Human ability (awareness-building activities), mobility performance (technological development), and traffic ecosystem (collaboration, development of systems / services), individually as “Honda’s 3 Safety Components.” By combining these components, we hope to more effectively prevent accidents from occurring.

Traffic Safety Promotion Operations is one of the divisions responsible for Human Ability. We communicate in various ways to all traffic participants, including drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists, the knowledge necessary for traffic safety, the correct way to drive, and the considerations they should have.

As you just said, “Honda Traffic Safety Karuta” is an educational card game that allows players to learn about 45 traffic rules and manners that they should remember for traffic safety while playing the karuta cards. The backs of the picture cards and the cards that read “Traffic rules and manners” are written in an easy-to-understand manner, and by memorizing a set of “promises” to be kept, it aims to raise traffic safety awareness even more.

The Safe Driving Promotion Division has produced many traffic safety education programs for children since the 1980s. However, until now, most of them were materials for limited use, such as traffic safety classes at schools and events. We wanted to provide more opportunities for children to enjoy and learn in their daily lives, not only in limited classes, and through trial and error, came up with these karuta cards.

So far, the Safe Driving Promotion Division has conducted awareness-raising activities based on the activity principles of “hands-on practical education to experience danger safely” and “safety handed from person to person.”

Regarding the former, based on the founder Soichiro Honda's idea that it is important [in traffic safety education] to let people experience danger safely, Honda offers hands-on learning programs at seven Honda Traffic Education Centers located throughout Japan. Through riding motorcycles and driving cars in dedicated courses and using simulators, participants can learn how to drive properly and how to deal with dangerous situations safely under the guidance of specialized instructors.

On the other hand, regarding “safety handed from person to person,” the Safe Driving Promotion Division also places emphasis on conveying messages directly from person to person. We also conduct wide-ranging traffic safety awareness activities in cooperation with local governments, schools, and businesses to educate people of all ages.

Based on our activity principles, we are developing three approaches: human resource development, to train leaders of traffic safety education, opportunity creation, to provide opportunities to learn about traffic safety, and educational program development, to create teaching materials and equipment that enhance learning effectiveness.

We share Honda’s safety technology and driving safety initiatives, including the activities of the Safe Driving Promotion Division, through the SJ traffic safety newsletter and Think Safety^*¹, a safe driving information magazine.

We are expanding our activities not only in Japan but also around the world, and as of March 2024, we are conducting safe driving promotion activities in 43 countries and regions.

In Japan, more than 6.79 million people have participated in our traffic safety classes and hands-on learning programs in cooperation with traffic education centers, local instructors, and affiliated companies. Overseas, especially in Asian countries where traffic accidents are frequent, we have actively provided the know-how cultivated in Japan for human resource development and the creation of educational materials, and in fiscal 2023, approximately 4.5 million people participated in our educational programs.

According to National Police Agency statistics, the number of traffic accident fatalities^*² in Japan in 1970 was 16,765, but by 2024 it will be 2,663^*³, a decrease to about one-sixth. Needless to say, this has been achieved not only through our activities but also through the efforts of all those involved in traffic safety, including legal reform, infrastructure development, advances in lifesaving systems and safety technology, but if our activities have helped in any way, it will encourage us in the future.

Honda’s attitude toward safety stems from its basic philosophy of “respect for people.” Based on the premise that all people, from all walks of life, are irreplaceable, we will continue to work tirelessly to raise awareness of traffic safety in order to realize an accident-free society in which all people can move freely and with peace of mind and be guided by their curiosity. We are planning to expand various activities toward our 2050 goal, and I would be happy if everyone interested would join us.