“When you arrive at a crosswalk and the green light is already blinking, what should you do?”
“We should stop!” “We should run across quickly!” The children shouted their answers one after another.
The instructor’s questions continued. “Then how should you cross a crosswalk without a traffic light? And when crossing, which side should you walk on – the left or the right? Who knows the correct direction?”

The children who had confidently claimed to know how to cross a crosswalk soon grew quiet. It is a path they face several times a day, yet when asked for the correct answers, these are moments that are confusing. According to data from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, most child traffic accidents in school zones in 2024 occurred while walking. The fact that accidents happen most often in situations we consider “basic” serves as a clear lesson that “we must first reexamine what we believe we know.” And filling that very gap is Hyundai KEFICO’s “Safe-Up! Campaign” – a hands-on safety education program.

The problem does not end with school zone pedestrian accidents. According to the National Police Agency, in 2023 alone, the highest number of traffic accidents involving children aged 12 and under occurred in Gyeonggi Province, and over the past three years, bicycle-related accidents have accounted for 33.6% of all cases. Recognizing these local safety risks, Hyundai KEFICO — an automotive electronics and control solutions company headquartered in Gunpo, Gyeonggi— launched the “Safe-Up! Campaign,” a child traffic safety education program designed to help children grow up free from the dangers of traffic accidents.

Hyundai KEFICO found the solution to children’s traffic safety in education. Reflecting the reality that pedestrian and bicycle accidents account for a large portion of incidents, the company developed two core programs: “Traffic Safety Education”, which teaches theoretical knowledge such as safe walking habits, traffic signals, and signs; and“On-the-Go Bicycle Safety Education”, where children learn safe riding practices through real-life cycling sessions. In addition, Hyundai KEFICO also operates the “KEFICO-Cycle Project,” an program that upcycles the company’s product packaging waste to create traffic safety items such as umbrellas and waterproof bag covers.

Now in its third year, Hyundai KEFICO’s Safe-Up! Campaign is receiving highly positive feedback from the field for its significantly enhanced content. Actively incorporating insights from last year’s FGI (Focus Group Interview) conducted with teachers and institutional staff, the curriculum was revised to focus more on lower-grade students, who have relatively less ability to recognize and avoid danger compared to upper-grade students.

The most notable change is the significant expansion of hands-on, practical training. Whereas the program previously focused mainly on workbooks and lecture-style instruction, this year it has greatly increased opportunities for children to learn through direct, physical experience. Using real traffic lights and crosswalks, children practiced the “Stop–Look–Cross” sequence repeatedly, developing instinctive habits that help their bodies respond automatically. The bicycle safety program also combined theory and practice—each lasting one hour—to make the training more realistic and engaging.

In this way, by reinforcing education for lower-grade students, expanding hands-on training, and integrating experiential learning with safety items, the Safe-Up! Campaign goes beyond simply delivering knowledge — it helps children naturally develop traffic safety habits they can apply in their everyday lives.

First launched in the Gunpo area, the Safe-Up! Campaign has now expanded across the Gyeonggi region, including Anyang, Uiwang, Suwon, and Ansan, establishing itself as an exemplary new model for traffic safety education. This year alone, approximately 1,000 lower-grade elementary school students have participated, with schools responding enthusiastically to the program. Requests asking whether all grades can participate and comments hoping the program continues every year keep pouring in, while schools that have experienced it express an even stronger desire to join again. This shows that the Safe-Up! Campaign is more than a one-time event — it is a program that inspires genuine behavioral change among children

Hyundai KEFICO plans to further expand the Safe-Up! Campaign as a sustainable social contribution program that not only protects children’s routes to school but also creates environmental value through upcycling. Furthermore, the company will continue to promote a wide range of social contribution activities centered on environmental protection, safety, and enhanced mobility — all aimed at building a safer society for all.