Ford Launches ‘Safety in Mobility’ Program in Germany to Help Protect Vulnerable Road Users

COLOGNE, Germany – Ford this month kicks off a new “Safety in Mobility” initiative in Germany designed to help young adults to better recognise hazards in road traffic.

Aimed at pedestrians, cyclists and e-scooter riders aged 16-24, it also teaches participants how cannabis and alcohol impair judgement, especially so when combined.

In 2023, 66 percent of people killed on urban roads in Germany were either pedestrians or cyclists – an increase of 18.8 per cent compared with the previous year.

Safety in Mobility is funded by Ford Philanthropy, the charitable foundation of the Ford Motor Company and its international grant-making partner GlobalGiving.

The two-hour training course has a modular structure. Participants complete five modules in groups of six: Dutch grip and overtaking distance, situational perspective change car/cyclist using VR glasses, distraction by smartphones, knowledge quiz on electromobility, e-scooters and blind spots as well as the influence of cannabis and alcohol on roadworthiness.

The program kicked off on September 14 and 15 with the Rhineland-Palatinate Youth Fire Brigade in Koblenz, followed by the Castrop-Rauxel Vocational College on September 17 and 18, 2024.

The German Road Safety Council (DVR) is the safety partner of this program. Six specially trained and certified road safety experts train 30 participants in each session. A total of 180 young adults are taking part in the new program this year.