Mercedes-Benz CSR Committee Expands 'Beyond Driving' Campaign into Urban Areas, Focusing on Turn Signals and Smartphones

[Financial News] The Mercedes-Benz Corporate Social Responsibility Committee is expanding its traffic safety campaign from highways to urban areas. The campaign focuses on improving everyday driving habits, such as using turn signals when changing lanes and refraining from smartphone use while driving. The committee plans to broaden its traffic safety efforts from programs centered on children to all drivers and increase public engagement through navigation services and other media used in daily life.
The Mercedes-Benz Corporate Social Responsibility Committee announced on the 21st that it had selected the proper use of turn signals and refraining from smartphone use while driving as the themes of the second phase of its 'Beyond Driving' campaign, which will run through the end of the year.
The first campaign, held last summer, focused on promoting driving etiquette needed on highways during the vacation season and at roundabouts. This time, the committee has expanded the campaign to common urban driving situations, including lane changes, traffic congestion, and areas with large numbers of pedestrians.
The campaign's core message is to communicate driving intentions to others in advance and keep drivers' attention focused on the road. It emphasizes 'consideration through communication,' meaning that drivers should use turn signals to convey their intended direction to nearby drivers and pedestrians, and 'consideration for safety,' meaning that they should refrain from smartphone use and concentrate on road conditions. The initiative aims to establish consideration among road users as a driving habit, alongside compliance with traffic laws.
The campaign will use approximately 32,000 elevator TVs nationwide, outdoor media at major urban locations, and highway rest areas. Voice messages on TMAP navigation will also be used so that people can encounter the campaign's messages in daily life and apply them while driving.
Shirin Emira, chair of the Mercedes-Benz Corporate Social Responsibility Committee, said, "Beyond Driving begins with practicing mutual respect and keeping safety in mind on the road. Through this campaign, we want to once again remind people of the everyday driving habits essential to safe driving, such as using turn signals and refraining from smartphone use while driving. We will continue various traffic safety initiatives so that a driving culture of consideration for others can take root in everyday life."
Since introducing the children's traffic safety education program MobileKids in Korea in 2014, the Mercedes-Benz Corporate Social Responsibility Committee has provided education to more than 50,000 children. It has also conducted initiatives such as school-zone safety campaigns and, beginning this year, expanded its target audience to all drivers through the Beyond Driving campaign.
Meanwhile, since its launch in 2014, the Mercedes-Benz Corporate Social Responsibility Committee has continued its work in traffic safety, mobility support at social welfare and disaster sites, and the protection of urban and climate environments. As of the second quarter of this year, its cumulative donations totaled approximately KRW 51.5 billion, which the committee says is the largest amount in Korea's imported-vehicle industry.
[email protected] Kim Dong-ho Reporter