In May, 3M South Africa, in conjunction with the Department of Transport, supported the first official Long Short Walk in Soweto as part of the United Nations Global Road Safety week.

The Long Short Walk, an idea sparked by Nelson Mandela’s long walk to freedom, highlighted the importance of pedestrian safety and was specifically held in Soweto in commemoration of the four scholars who were killed and the two scholars who were left critically injured after a drag race in 2010.

In order to ensure that school children are visible on public roads as they walk to and from school, 3M handed out 500 reflective badges made from its unique DiamondGrade (DG³) product. DG³ is a highly reflective material that was specially designed for road traffic signs. The idea behind the reflective badges is that they will be pinned onto a child’s schoolbag making him or her more visible to motorists and therefore are less vulnerable on our roads. 

Over 500 school children from 11 schools attended the four kilometre walk through Soweto, along with the Minister of Transport, Dikobe Ben Martins, whose department is placing a key focus on road safety.

“The event was a true collaborative effort signifying the commitment from the Government and police as well as companies, like 3M, to making our roads safe for pedestrians and motorists alike,” says Clive Versveld, Sales Manager of 3M Traffic Safety Systems.

3M has printed a further 10 000 reflective badges that will be handed out at upcoming events.