Lexington’s Safety City gets a new fleet of electric cars
A new fleet of electric cars has arrived at Safety City, Lexington’s make-believe city that teaches children about automobile and pedestrian safety.
A group of second-graders from Lemons Mill Elementary School in Scott County test drove the kid-sized cars on Monday.
“It was awesome to drive around,” said Miles Johnson, 8, of his spin in a sporty green convertible.
The cars, purchased with the help of a $49,000 donation from Toyota, replaced an aging fleet that had dated back to Safety City’s opening in 1990.
“We all have to do our part in making sure that those who end up behind the wheel are equipped with their own set of safety features,” said Wil James, president of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky. “We think that means starting earlier to teach kids about driver, passenger and pedestrian safety.”
More than 2,000 children from Central Kentucky visit Safety City each school year. The city is a partnership between Eastern Kentucky University and the Lexington Police Department.
“This is one of the programs in which we get to positively interact with children, and we appreciate it so much,” said Lexington Police Chief Mark Barnard.
Safety City, 1160 Red Mile Place, is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday by appointment only. Visit http://safetycity.eku.edu/scheduling-your-visit to schedule a trip to Safety City or call (859) 258-3102.
This story was originally published March 7, 2016 at 3:57 PM with the headline "Lexington’s Safety City gets a new fleet of electric cars."