Thursday, August 29, 2019

Bosch Launches ‘Heels & Wheels’ Car and Road Safety Workshop for Women with Emphasis on Car Maintenance Knowledge and the Importance of Child Safety Restraint Systems


Bosch Automotive Aftermarket Malaysia (Bosch AA) have launched their 'Heels & Wheels' Car and Road Safety workshop for women. This corporate social responsibility programme was initiated in collaboration with the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development together with the support of PROTON, Petron and Road Safety Department of Malaysia (JKJR). The workshop aimed to educate and empower women drivers to better understand their own car and also inculcate road safety amongst the participants. 


The 'Heels & Wheels' is a #BoschEmpowersWomen initiative and it was officiated by The Honourable Hannah Yeoh, Deputy Minister of Women, Family and Community Development and it was attended by 60 women staff from the Department of Women’s Development. This inaugural workshop was held at the launch and most of of the women there participated in it.

The workshop primarily covered simple car maintenance knowledge that women drivers can easily learn with a dedicated session on the importance of child restraint systems (CRS), which are baby and child car seats, including the correct methods of installing and using them. Many Malaysians fail to use these seats and it is good that Bosch is actually promoting this aspect of road safety. In the case of promoting basic maintenance, this is also necessary as imparting knowledge is always a good thing - No more hearing 'what is 710 on the top of the engine?' jokes anymore (710 = OIL). 


“A study by Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) shows that 58% of children and infants’ death in the country is due to road accidents and the lack of child car seats is a large contributing factor to the fatalities. I am very excited and grateful that this workshop is emphasizing essential car maintenance including the importance of CRS considering the compulsory implementation of child car seats next year. Using CRS could help reduce the risk of fatal injuries by up to 70%”, said YB Hannah Yeoh, Deputy Minister of Women, Family and Community Development. 


Additionally, a Bosch AA 2018 survey among Malaysian drivers showed that only 1% of women know how to troubleshoot a car breakdown. Ignorance isn't bliss...especially if something happens to you and your car. 

During the workshop, Bosch AA taught simple car maintenance checks involving four key car components - battery, wipers, engine oil, and tyres. Participants were given hands-on experience on how to identify signs of a weak battery and worn out wipers, change a flat tire, check engine oil levels and most importantly, how to appropriately respond in a car emergency or breakdown. 

“At Bosch AA, car and road safety are key focus areas for us. We believe proactive car care and maintenance with the usage of quality car parts are fundamental to reduce risks of car breakdowns and road accidents. As we celebrate our Independence Day in a few days time, we hope that the ‘Heels & Wheels’ workshop can empower and inspire women drivers to take charge of their car care to give them peace of mind while driving”, said Mr. Pang Yoon Kong, Country Manager of Bosch Automotive Aftermarket Malaysia. 

The workshop also featured a talk about car safety technology by PROTON, a ‘Safe Habits at Service Stations’ talk by Aliza Azimah Ahmad from Petron Malaysia, a child car seat safety demonstration by Sweet Heart Paris and a talk on ‘Stigma amongst Women Drivers’ by JKJR. 

“Safety and peace of mind have all always been a key component of the PROTON brand promise. We have been strong advocates of road safety for over three decades and believe that it is a responsibility that requires consistent engagement with the Malaysian public. Campaigns like this, play an important role in creating awareness and educating people about the importance of road safety beyond driving”, said Vijayaratnam Tharumartnam, Head of Group Communications for PROTON. 

The #BoschEmpowersWomen initiative is part of Bosch AA’s flagship car and road safety campaign ‘Drive for Life’ which was just launched in May 2019. This campaign is in line with the government’s agenda to reduce road accidents in the country. It is also good to know that Bosch has decided to work with PROTON, Petron and the government agencies to spread the message of road safety and maintenance knowledge.

Head over to Bosch Autoparts Malaysia Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BoschAA.MY/ for more information.




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