Auto giant BMW rolls out traffic safety program across western China

German auto giant BMW launched the 2022 Children's Traffic Safety Education program in late June, which will help improve children's road safety awareness in rural areas in western China.

Launched in 2005, BMW CTSE is one of its key corporate social responsibility programs targeting children's road safety in China, which shows BMW's long-term commitment to Chinese society.

According to BMW, their annual CTSE program has reached 69 Chinese cities and benefited more than 100 million people since 2005.

This year, under the guidance of the Traffic Management Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security, BMW strengthened social collaboration and worked with the Youth Volunteer Action Tutorial Center of the Communist Youth League of China Central Committee and the China Education Development Foundation to offer professional volunteer training on children's traffic safety education with local traffic police, young teachers, university students, BMW customers and dealers in several counties in Northwest China's Qinghai province.

President and CEO of BMW Group Region China Jochen Goller said in a recent interview that with China's success in poverty alleviation and the high-quality development of rural areas, car ownership numbers have been increasing in western China and traffic safety education is needed there.

BMW has decided to deploy its CTSE program in the rural areas and use its 18 years of experience to provide high-quality traffic safety education for children and parents in the rural areas of western China, Goller said.

BMW's action also responds to the needs of the government. The Action Plan for Promotion and Education on Traffic Safety (2021-23), issued by the Traffic Management Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security in early 2021, set the special task of improving and consolidating traffic safety education in western rural areas.

Through the appeal of social collaboration, it aims at continually improving the publicity and profundity of traffic safety education, as well as the awareness of traffic safety, law and propriety, to support the rural vitalization strategy and the construction of a safe traffic environment.

Goller said: "At home in China, BMW Group continues to create value for the Chinese customer, the local society and industry for mutual benefits. We firmly believe that good corporate citizenship encompasses the company's social commitment well beyond pure business results.

"The success of BMW CTSE and BMW CSR in China can be attributed to our dedication to reading the insights and understanding the actual demands of society, and based on this deeply engaging with breakthrough ideas jointly with our stakeholders. The long-standing BMW Children's Traffic Safety Education program brings our corporate strategy 'At home in China'to life."

Travel with propriety

Last year, to address the most pressing issues in public traffic safety awareness, BMW CTSE mooted the "travel with propriety "initiative, which is an innovative transformation from traditional Chinese culture.

The concept at the core of traffic etiquette is "propriety": that is, the respect between people, the respect of order in the relationship between people, and the relationship between people and the society.

This takes form in several scenarios, characterized by three core concepts: "propriety" as a pedestrian, a passenger and a driver. Exploring points of connection between traditional culture and modern society, BMW CTSE has attracted extensive public attention and recognition and the "travel with propriety" initiative is known via city roadshows and online interactions.

Joining forces with the China Children's Press & Publication Group, BMW CTSE donated the "travel with propriety" traffic safety packages to traffic police and schools along national and provincial expressways in 2021. It has helped promote children's traffic safety education, benefiting more than 190,000 students.

This year, the "travel with propriety" initiative will go to western China, and strive to leverage its design power to be more visible and understandable in real and specific traffic scenarios.

The traffic safety packages will be used as the major teaching toolbox to advance the "travel with propriety, travel safely with children" initiative.

Long-term CSR

For a company to grow from good to great, BMW believes that it must stand for more than just sales performance and profitability. A great company should also be a responsible company that closely engages in social issues to promote social development.

Closely following and with deep insights into the Chinese government and society's major social agendas, BMW is committed to making long-term contributions to Chinese society, Goller said.

It has four flagship CSR projects in China－BMW China Culture Journey, BMW Children's Traffic Safety Education, BMW Joy Home, and BMW Beautiful Homeland Initiative. The first three have all been in progress for more than a decade, with the oldest running for 18 years.

Last year, BMW Beautiful Homeland Initiative was launched to focus on conservation and aimed at protecting China's biodiversity and contributing to the construction of national parks.

"BMW will continue to pay close attention to social issues and take promoting social development as BMW's responsibility and make efforts to influence more people through the long-term development of our programs," Goller said.