Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky (TMMK) has donated ten child-sized electric cars to a local program that gives elementary school kids an early education in safe driving skills.
Safety City, developed as a partnership between Eastern Kentucky University and the Lexington Police Department, is a 26-year-old safety education program targeted for second and third graders. The program combines classroom instruction with simulated driving experiences to educate kids on safe driving practices and other traffic-related lessons. The program serves more than 2,000 local students during each school year. Toyota’s donation, which is valued at $49,000, will be used to replace the program’s aging fleet of vehicles, which have been used by the program since Safety City’s inception in 1990.
The Safety City program offers classes on topics ranging from traffic and pedestrian safety to the importance of seatbelt use. It is built on the premise that safe driving habits and traffic-related practices begin to develop for young people long before they become eligible for their own driver's licenses.
“Early education is critical,” said Lisa Conley, Safety City’s executive director. “The purchase of these cars allows us to continue to give young students a meaningful, hands-on experience to help them develop a foundation of safe habits that will be so important in the future.”
“We believe everyone deserves to be safe, and we want to be a part of helping keep people safe, on and off the road,” said Wil James, president of Toyota’s Kentucky plant. “That’s a priority for us, and it’s why we’re investing in programs like Safety City.”
Safety City is located at 1160 Red Mile Place in Lexington. The facility is open from Monday through Friday by appointment only, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. For more information or to schedule a visit to the facility, check online at Safety City's website, safetycity.eku.edu.