A Safe Ride is based on a stand-alone video and stand-alone printed materials. The video is aimed at the general public, while the safety workbooks and pamphlets are targeted at specific audiences, i.e., senior citizens, parents of young children, etc. Best results will be achieved when program materials are used in tandem. The industry -- through the Foundation's programs -- hopes to reduce avoidable accidents by helping make the riding public more aware of safe and proper riding habits.

The concept for A Safe Ride began in 1996, when the Foundation commissioned Dr. Roma Hanks, a noted gerontologist at the University of South Alabama, to research literature to determine the best way to reach senior citizen riders. Concurrently, key members of the industry were asked to identify the safety messages such a program should address. As the research was underway, the Foundation entered into an agreement with the National Safety Council (NSC) to jointly develop and produce the program, calling on the vast expertise of the NSC in program development. The EESF/NSC team utilized Dr. Hanks' and industry expert reports as the basis for the program. The joint effort resulted in the rapid development of the facilitator's guide and a participant handbook along the lines the study suggested.

The A Safe Ride Program was introduced in 1997 at the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) convention. Through the generosity of many elevator & escalator companies, A Safe Ride is available free of charge to Area Agencies on Aging and Senior Citizens Centers in the United States and Canada. It is the wish of the Elevator Escalator Safety Foundation that every senior citizen, building manager and owner will see the A Safe Ride video.