Travelers Releases ‘Zaadii: The Legend of Z-Hawk’ during New York Comic Con’s Metaverse to Honor a Life Cut Short by Di...
October 08 2020 - 9:24AM
Business Wire
Story inspired by 3-year-old Navajo boy who
loved superheroes
New data shows that despite the dangers, many
drivers are continuing to text, shop online and update social media
while behind the wheel
The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE: TRV) today announced the
release of “Zaadii: The Legend of Z-Hawk,” a comic book inspired by
3-year-old Zaadii Tozhon Tso, who was tragically killed by a
distracted driver in 2015.
Zaadii’s greatest joy in life was superheroes, so the company
commissioned renowned comic book writers and artists Gail Simone,
Jim Calafiore and Jeffrey Veregge, and worked closely with Zaadii’s
family, to design a story honoring the young boy as one of the
first Navajo superheroes. “Zaadii: The Legend of Z-Hawk” will be
revealed at New York Comic Con’s virtual event, happening Oct.
8-11.
The comic is the latest in Travelers’ Unfinished Stories series,
which aims to honor lives cut short because of distracted driving.
The company’s ongoing campaign is meant to encourage people to stay
focused while driving.
“It breaks my heart to think about a young life needlessly lost
because of a distracted driver,” said Lisa Caputo, Executive Vice
President, Marketing, Communications and Customer Experience at
Travelers. “By honoring Zaadii’s memory in this comic, we are
continuing to educate people across the country about the very real
and sad outcomes that can occur when drivers engage in high-risk
behaviors. We greatly appreciate the talented team who created
Z-Hawk and hope this story compels people to pay closer attention
to the road.”
Simone, Calafiore and Veregge, along with John Morris, Senior
Vice President of Enterprise Integrated Marketing at Travelers,
will take part in New York Comic Con’s Metaverse during a virtual
panel session, streaming on YouTube on Oct. 11 at 1:50 p.m. ET. The
panelists will talk about the inspiration for the project, the
making of the comic and the larger goal of calling attention to the
risks of distracted driving.
Simone, a New York Times bestselling author, said about writing
the project, “It's an honor to get to tell this story in memory of
this very special child. With the help of his wonderful family, we
feel like we are sharing his dream with the world, while hopefully
reminding people of the dangers of distracted driving.”
Despite the known dangers, drivers are taking their attention
away from the road. A recent survey of consumers in the 2020
Travelers Risk Index found that while many acknowledge distracted
driving as the cause of most vehicle crashes, drivers continue to
engage in the behavior at significant rates. Nearly 40% of
Generation Z respondents believe they can safely drive while
distracted, and one-third of millennials report that they have
nearly crashed because of distracted driving.
A separate study conducted by Travelers found that a significant
number of people continue to engage in risky behaviors while
driving during the COVID-19 pandemic, including:
- Shopping online – 36%
- Updating social media – 37%
- Recording videos or taking pictures – 37%
- Texting – 47%
- Making or receiving phone calls – 74%
These and other distractions have prompted the National Safety
Council to designate October as National Distracted Driving
Awareness Month.
“The dangers of distracted driving are real, and we commend
Travelers for drawing attention to this issue,” said Lorraine M.
Martin, President and CEO of the National Safety Council. “The
comic book paying tribute to Zaadii is a heartfelt, creative way to
further communicate the importance of driving distraction-free, and
we are hopeful that it will lead to safer drivers on our
roads.”
To access a digital copy of “Zaadii: The Legend of Z-Hawk,”
visit Travelers.com/Zaadii. For more information about Travelers’
efforts to combat distracted driving, including the Travelers
Institute’s education campaign Every Second Matters℠, visit
Travelers.com/distracteddriving.
About Travelers’ Data
To measure perceptions of distracted driving, Hart Research
conducted a national online survey of 1,000 consumers, ages 18 to
69, in December 2019. Separately, Travelers surveyed 500 consumers
in September 2020.
About Travelers
The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE: TRV) is a leading provider
of property casualty insurance for auto, home and business. A
component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Travelers has
approximately 30,000 employees and generated revenues of
approximately $32 billion in 2019. For more information, visit
Travelers.com.
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201008005612/en/
Media: Sperry Mylott, 860.277.5075
smylott@travelers.com
The Travelers Companies (NYSE:TRV)
Historical Stock Chart
From Mar 2024 to Apr 2024
The Travelers Companies (NYSE:TRV)
Historical Stock Chart
From Apr 2023 to Apr 2024