Toyota City, Japan, September 17, 2013—Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) will conduct its annual autumn traffic safety campaign from September 21 to October 31 to coincide with the Japanese government's autumn nationwide campaign, which runs from September 21 to 30. A total of 417 companies, consisting of vehicle dealers, logistics systems companies, forklift dealers, parts distributors and vehicle rental/lease dealers, will participate in the TMC campaign. TMC conducts traffic safety campaigns every spring and autumn, and this marks the 45th year since this program was launched in 1969.

This year's autumn campaign will focus on nighttime safety, advising drivers to turn on their headlights in the late afternoon, when sunlight levels begin to decline, and advising pedestrians to wear reflective material at night. Approximately 840,000 educational flyers will be distributed at vehicle dealers and other locations nationwide.

According to Japanese National Police Agency statistics, pedestrians accounted for the largest segment—approximately 37 percent—of the 4,411 traffic fatalities that occurred in 2012. As more than twice as many pedestrian fatalities occur at night than in the daytime, TMC believes that drivers turning on their headlights at an appropriate time and pedestrians wearing reflective material will lead to higher visibility of pedestrians, which will help prevent accidents during twilight and at night.

This autumn campaign will feature the first-ever tie-up with TMC's "Kodomobilita" traffic safety website for children. "Bilita", the website's mascot, will teach visitors that reflective material increases the visibility of objects at night. The site will also explain how reflective material works, and will feature a video that demonstrates the different visibilities of different colors at night.

In addition, the website will run a lottery during the campaign period, with 300 winners receiving a Bilita reflective keychain.