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TokiYogi Omni-Reflective Scarves featured in Pedestrian Safety Campaign launched by Ontario government

Nov. 1, 2016 - Toronto, Canada  

TokiYogi Omni-Reflective Scarves will be distributed across Ontario this month as part of the province-wide pedestrian safety campaign "BE ALERT, BE SEEN," launched by the Ministry of Transportation Ontario, in collaboration with Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center, Toronto Police and CAA among other road safety partners.  

The campaign encourages both drivers and pedestrians to stay focused and remain visible while using the roads.

“So far this year we have seen a 20.7 per cent increase in pedestrian injuries coming to Sunnybrook’s trauma bay as compared to the same time frame in 2015. This is alarming, and we must get back to basics when it comes to prevention, says Dr. Avery Nathans, Medical Director, Tory Regional Trauma Centre, Sunnybrook.

Const. Clint Stibbe with Toronto Traffic Services said the number of pedestrians killed this year is staggering.

“We have a city of three-and-a-half million people, every one of these collisions was avoidable. All that was required was that that pedestrian be seen and the driver maybe not make a mistake,” he said.

Quebec-based brand TokiYogi is launching its flagship line of all-reflective active wear later this month.

“Winter is just around the corner, which means reduced visibility and less sunlight hours to keep pedestrians in driver’s plain sight,” said An Pham, co-founder and co-creator of Toki Yogi. “More than half of pedestrian traffic collisions occur when lighting conditions are low – that’s why we’ve rolled out a line of trendy reflective apparel to encourage people to be visible."

TokiYogi’s clothing is built with the metrics of their two proprietary technologies called Vision in Motion and Vision in Motion Power of 2. These technologies provide the garments with science-based metrics, both in terms of reflective coverage and material durability.

In essence, TokiYogi combines sustainable and science-based technology with everyday fashion trends to give pedestrians a 360-degree visibility with oncoming drivers and traffic.

“There is a misconception that pedestrians shouldn’t have to worry about reflective clothing – that it’s all about the driver’s behaviour. In our view, it only makes sense that each individual does whatever is possible within one’s own control, and to adopt an active rather than passive approach to reduce one’s own risk of being a victim of road collisions,” said Sae Chang, co-founder and co-creator of TokiYogi.

“Every road user – driver, cyclist, pedestrian – has a responsibility to themselves (and) to each other to make sure that we are getting from point A to point B safely,” Transportation Minister Stephen Del Duca contended at the campaign launch event.

MEDIA CONTACT

An Pham
514-961-5840
anpham@tokiyogi.com

or

Sae Chang
514-604-1093
saechang@vm2technology.com

 

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