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'Otto The Auto' Getting Kids To Talk About Traffic Safety Earlier

BEL AIR, Md. (WJZ) -- The American Automobile Association has found that the sooner children learn about the dangers associated with traffic, the safer they will be.

Mike Schuh reports on how they're starting with preschoolers.

Serious stuff is happening at the Early Learning Center in Harford County. Tegan is playing the role of a kid who chased a ball into the street.

"She did not look three times. She did not have a grown up with her. And she ran," said a talking car named Otto. "Now look at her."

Otto the Auto came from AAA's Foundation for Safety and Education. He's talking to Russ Hurd.

Hurd has a huge incentive to get kids to talk about traffic safety early. His daughter was killed by a distracted driver.

Hurd and his wife are now on a mission. They hold a huge 5K fundraiser every year to promote safety.

"We believe the younger you start, the better for teaching safe driving behaviors," said Hurd. "This is going to be the generation we hope that will end distracted driving. So I think this is a tremendous thing that AAA is doing, and I'm so pleased to be here."

It appears the kids are pleased, too.

AAA says Otto is their most popular education program for kids.

'We believe that it is so important to get this message to children early so that hopefully they will model good behaviors as they grow," Ragina Cooper Averella, spokeswoman for AAA Mid-Atlantic, said.

This is the first year the Early Learning Center will participate in the Heather L. Hurd 5K Run/1 Mile Fun Walk on Halloween at the Harford Community College.

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