Ford Phils. cares



With vehicular accidents taking up the third most popular cause of death in the Philippines, a lot of young and promising lives have been lost due to improper driving practice and unsafe wheel handling.

Ford Group Philippines believes that it's never too late to eliminate the risks and save more lives. And so, in its continuing effort to reinforce safety on the road, the Ford R.I.D.E. (Responsibility in Driver's Education) road safety program was created.

For every Ford and Mazda vehicle sold in the country since March 2005, the company sets aside P1,000 which funds the 2005 Ford Road Safety Program. Upon its launch in 2004, Ford has partnered with the Tuason Racing School, in conducting the seminars.

To date, 12 R.I.D.E. sessions have already been completed, with each session tailor-made to fit the needs and understanding of students, corporate customers and most especially, the Ford drivers and employees.

The media had the chance to go through a special course which was held recently at the Speedzone in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig.

The course was composed of lectures on defensive driving techniques, driving accident facts, road signs, common traffic violations, handling emergency situations, and vehicle safety technology.

Hands-on exercises on how to maximize vehicle features such as the ABS (anti-lock brake system), parking techniques, aquaplaning and basic auto-maintenance were also taught.

Videos that graphically demonstrated what the lecturers talked about were proven to be effective, not only with the students and corporate clients, but with the motoring media as well.

After the lectures and hands-on exercises, the participants split into groups as they competed in an "Amazing Race" type of challenge.

The game was actually an application of all the principles that were tackled in the session, with the challengers battling against time and skill. The day ended with an awarding ceremony, recognizing those who have applied the lessons well while being pressured by time.

"We recognize the growing concern on road safety and as one of the leading car manufacturers we believe that it is our social responsibility to help address this concern. Since we launched the Ford Road Safety program in 2004, we have already initiated several activities to promote road safety in the country.

R.I.D.E. has been very well received in the schools and companies where we have conducted the sessions. We hope that through these initiatives we are able to do our share in making our roads safer for both motorists and pedestrians," said Henry Co, Ford Group Philippines president.