Children Donate Voices to Waze to Help Save Lives
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, June 25, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The World Health Organization reports road traffic injuries are the eighth leading cause of death globally. Current trends suggest that by 2030 road traffic deaths will become the fifth leading cause of death unless urgent action is taken.
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According to the University of Michigan's Transport Research Institute study, Malaysia is the second-most dangerous country for drivers in South East Asia after Thailand, with 30 fatalities per 100,000 individuals.
This sparked a three-way collaboration between Waze, Malaysian based telecommunications company Maxis, and creative agency Ensemble Worldwide to create an innovative safety reminder on the road.
As a mobile service provider, Maxis recognized the power they possess to access users' personal space coupled with the capacity to deliver a timely message.
Waze on the other hand has been leading the effort to make driving a smoother and safer experience, while improving the quality of life with mobile technology.
Waze Head of APAC Sales Eleanne Hattis said: "Our philosophy at Waze is all about contributing to the common good on the road, which means that safety is our top priority for our users. We are therefore very proud to be working with Maxis Malaysia on this project that amplifies our common vision of improving the quality of lives through mobile technology."
The corporate social responsibility project is an attempt at improving road safety simply by using the voices of children as a voice pack option on Waze. It serves as a reminder to adults that when driving recklessly, childrens' lives are at stake, whether their own who ride with them, other children on the road or even their children waiting at home for them.
"Let's face it - parents DO drive safer when kids are in the car. So we worked with Waze to put kids in as many cars as possible. 92% of road accidents are caused by driver-related errors and we believe Safe Mode Kids is a non-naggy, charming and effective way to remind drivers to be safer, and hopefully save lives. They are the real stars here, and we would like to thank them and their parents for helping us launch this amazing product," said Sulin Lau, Head of Marketing Services of Maxis.
The idea for the kids voice pack was inspired by the insight from a Maxis-commissioned study, that 9 out of 10 parents drive safer when their kids are in the car. With the Waze Safe Mode voice pack, you will always have a 'kid' in your car to remind you to drive safer.
Different from other Waze special voice packs that usually feature a single celebrity voice, the Safe Mode Kids invited children between the ages of 3 to 12 years old to donate their voices for Waze directional prompts with charming reminders to drive safe. Instead of the standard Waze navigation prompts you will hear: 'All set. Don't forget your seatbelt', 'Re-routing. Eyes on the Road!' and "Accident reported ahead. Please be careful, ok?"
The initiative that started out as a local campaign in Malaysia is now being launched globally. Beginning June 24, the kids' voice pack will available to more than 50 million Waze users around the world.
Users can find and download the feature under the Voice Language settings titled 'Safe Mode Kids'.
Here's how to get the Safe Mode Kids voice pack:
- Download/open Waze
- Select Settings
- Click on Sound
- Go to Voice Language
- Select "English (US) – Safe Mode with Kids" (powered by Maxis)
Users can also find videos of how we called for Kidscouring (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQTpXwHrcwU) and Behind the Scenes (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PmvJKgetH4) audition video on YouTube.
About Maxis Berhad
Maxis Berhad is Malaysia's leading communications service provider, enabling customers to connect and communicate anytime, anywhere and from any device. 13 million customers choose to be with us as we stand for the best coverage, innovative solutions and excellent service.
Our high-speed network footprint is the largest in the country – enabling every Malaysian to enjoy our extensive range of data services such as mobile Internet browsing, social networking sites, downloading apps as well as a portfolio of integrated mobile, fixed and enterprise solutions. This is in addition to our voice calls, text and picture messaging services.
Beyond connecting people with our services, we are passionate about making a positive impact to the community in which we operate in. Our Corporate Responsibility efforts aim to develop and enrich our community, customers and partners, creating a fun place to work and advocating environmentally friendly practices.
For more information, please visit: www.maxis.com.my
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