OREANDA-NEWS. August 27, 2015. Ford Motor Company continued its global Driving Skills for Life (DSFL) campaign in Malaysia, kicking off a series of workshops aimed at raising awareness for safe driving techniques with a session at Taylor’s University Lakeside Campus.

Ford’s half-day DSFL workshops—provided free-of-charge—emphasize the importance of safe driving skills for motorists in Malaysia.

“Driving Skills for Life is designed to equip people with the skills they need to be better, safer drivers. Road safety is a very serious issue, and we feel it is our responsibility to help reinforce this message among Malaysian motorists, especially young drivers,” said David Westerman, managing director, Asia Pacific Emerging Markets, Ford Motor Company.

According to the World Health Organization’s Global Status Report on Road Safety, Malaysia’s road fatalities per 100,000 population are among the highest in ASEAN, while figures from The Malaysian Institute of Road Safety (MIROS) show an average of 18 people are killed on the country’s roads every day; a figure that is predicted to rise to 29 by 2020.  

The Driving Skills for Life program is aimed at educating drivers on necessary and practical skills for driving safely, helping to reduce the number of fatalities and injuries associated with traffic accidents. DSFL training includes both a classroom session covering theory, as well as a hands-on driving session to apply the learnings.

In addition to the program’s core content, an emphasis on the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol has been incorporated this year, including having participants wear specially designed gear that helps simulate the experience of driving while movement, coordination and alertness are impaired.

“The whole experience was fun, especially getting behind the wheel to practice. Most of us think we know all about driving skills, but in reality we all have a lot to learn,” said Jaclyn Hwang, one of the participating students. “If I ever need to avoid an accident, I feel much more confident now that I have the skills to be able to.”

DSFL is Ford’s flagship global corporate social responsibility (CSR) program. In Asia, Ford DSFL is now in its eighth successful year of training licensed drivers of all ages. In addition to Malaysia, DSFL training is provided in China, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines.

“As a global company with an established presence in Malaysia, we are committed in our efforts to instil road safety awareness amongst drivers to help reduce the number of road fatalities, making the roads safer for drivers, motorists and pedestrians,” added Westerman.

By the end of 2015, Ford DSFL will have reached more than 150,000 people with behind-the-wheel training and hundreds of thousands more through online training, school programs and safe driving campaigns in 32 countries.