Go Safely - Toyota is committed to making safer cars and promoting safer driving. Now, you can help, too.

Information Distribution
The “Go Safely” dealership kit contains brochures and safety tip cards to hand out to customers, especially those who place automotive safety at the top of their priority list.

Over the years, Toyota has built its reputation on the firm foundation of QDR: quality, durability and reliability. But the company could make a strong case that there ought to be a fourth letter in that acronym: S for safety.

“Building safe cars is just as important as building reliable cars that are fun to drive and look great,” says Bob Carter, senior vice president and general manager of Automotive Operations at Toyota Motor Sales (TMS). “That’s not negotiable. It’s just part of what we do.”

And “we” includes Toyota’s dealers.
Toyota Motor Corporation might invest an average of more than $1 million per hour on research and development that, in part, helps lead to safer vehicles. And TMS has long supported programs that encourage safer driving, most notably among teenagers. But those who interact with customers on a daily basis have a critical role to play in his effort, too.

A Unified Campaign
Toyota’s newest safety initiative—Go Safely—aims to complete that circle. It binds all of the company’s major driving safety programs for kids, teens and adults into a unified campaign. And, it provides dealers with materials to help spread the word with customers.
By now, your store should have received a dealer toolkit that’s stocked with resources to promote three core programs:

• Buckle Up for Life - Research shows that three out of every four child car seats in the U.S. are not properly installed. That’s why, in 2004, Toyota partnered with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center to create Buckle Up for Life, a child passenger safety program. The program is now in 14 cities and BuckleUpforLife.org can be used on a mobile device to help parents choose the correct seat and watch videos on how to properly install them.
• TeenDrive365—Statistics show automobile crashes are the leading cause of death among teenagers. So for more than a decade, Toyota has brought its Teen Driver Experience program to cities throughout the country. This hands-on training goes beyond mandatory driver’s education classes to introduce teens and their parents to “real-world” driving conditions—including the dangers of distracted driving—in a safe and controlled environment.
• AARP Driver Safety—This is the nation’s first and largest safety course designed specifically for drivers over the age of 50. Last year, nearly 600,000 participants took part in the classroom training. An impressive 97 percent reported that they changed at least one key driving behavior because of it. In most states, auto insurance companies offer a discount to customers who complete this course.

Here’s How You Can Help
Now it’s your turn to get involved. Start by familiarizing yourself with these three Toyota safety programs. Information is available online and, conveniently, in the toolkit. Then, think creatively about how best to spread the word to your customers and community.

In the toolkit, you’ll find brochures and safety tip cards to hand out to your customers. Also included are table tents you can place on showroom desks, service waiting areas and other high-traffic areas. Additional promotional items, such as a coffee sleeve, rearview mirror cling and poster, can be ordered through Dealer Daily.

But that’s not all: The kit also contains a USB thumb drive loaded with an array of content and graphics designed specifically for use on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. And there’s a safety tips video you can play on your in-dealership television screens as well as upload to your website and YouTube channel.

No Empty Pledge
While these tools might seem similar to those used to promote Toyota or its vehicles, Go Safely is not a sales initiative. This campaign is about raising awareness of the many resources that are available to your customers.

“Our commitment to safety isn’t an empty pledge or a catchy marketing slogan,” says Carter. “It’s something we think about all day, every day. It’s our job to provide the safest driving experience possible. And it’s a job we take very seriously.”

We know you take it seriously, too.