The Volunteer Club was appointed as the "School Route Safety Campaign Team" for Chiyoda Ward Kojimachi Elementary School.

Students receiving a commission from the Kojimachi Police Station Chief (third from the left)

Students posing for a commemorative photo after the commissioning ceremony

On September 25th, five members of the Voluntary Volunteer Club at the Tokyo Kioicho Campus were appointed as the "School Route Safety Campaign Team" at Kojimachi Police Station (Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo) for Chiyoda Ward Kojimachi Elementary School.

The "School Route Safe Driving Appeal Squad" is a group of traffic volunteers commissioned by the chiefs of police stations in Tokyo to prevent traffic accidents involving children. In 2014, there were many traffic accidents involving children on school routes, so the group was formed in November of the same year in the elementary school district under the jurisdiction of Kitazawa Police Station (Setagaya Ward, Tokyo) to prevent traffic accidents involving children by calling on drivers on school routes to drive safely and by providing protection and guidance for children.
Since then, momentum has grown across Tokyo to form teams calling for safe driving on school routes, and as of the end of 2023, more than 7,700 members are active in 228 elementary school districts under the jurisdiction of 68 police stations.

This activity is applied for by the children's guardians, elementary school officials, and people living near the school route, and is entrusted to individuals and groups who are recognized as having a high level of road safety awareness, a genuine desire to prevent traffic accidents involving children, and the ability to safely and appropriately carry out road safety activities such as protection and guidance activities. There are eight elementary schools in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, where the Tokyo Kioicho Campus is located, and the department is in charge of the arrival and departure times for children at Chiyoda Ward Kojimachi Elementary School, the closest to the campus.

When working as a "School Route Safety Campaign Team," they wear School Route Safety Driving Campaign Team patrol vests and carry out activities to protect children by encouraging passing vehicles to slow down, displaying signs indicating that children are passing by, and using crossing flags.

 

Mr. Setaka, a member of the "School Route Safety Campaign"

Setaka Runa (2nd year, Faculty of Management and Information Sciences), representative of the volunteer group taking part in this activity, said, "As a member of the School Route Safe Driving Promotion Team, I will be careful to encourage children to drive safely on their way to and from school, and to act in a way that ensures safe driving for people in cars and on bicycles. By promoting safe driving, I would like to also review our own traffic rules."
The activities will take place over three days in late September, which is the National Autumn Traffic Safety Campaign period, in time for school arrival times, and in October they will mainly take place around school dismissal times.