Volvo has devised an ingenious means of adding value to their provided road service. It’s quite an innovative approach to “giving back” , using something as seemingly mundane as road service to help save a life – which is rather in keeping with Volvo’s life saving theme anyway. Kudos to Volvo for their impressive application of the basic road service amenity.

“Volvo Cars of North America (VCNA) announced today a partnership with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children® (NCMEC), linking their roadside assistance network to the nation’s leading organization for the prevention of abducted, endangered, and sexually exploited children.

According to a U.S. Department of Justice study, nearly 800,000 children were reported missing in a one year period. That is the equivalent of more than 2,000 children being reported each day.

“Volvo Cars wants to help law enforcement and NCMEC bring more children home safely,” says Anne Bélec, VCNA president and CEO. “When a child is missing, lost, or in danger we all have a responsibility to do everything possible, as quickly as possible to assist.”

Bélec notes that Volvo’s “On-Call” roadside service assistance network will now be linked to trained professionals in NCMEC’s Hotline. When a Volvo driver, or anyone with access to the emergency phone number on the Volvo “On-Call” card or decal, calls in a report it goes immediately into the system. Time is a critical element to the successful resolution in cases of missing children.

Every new Volvo sold will receive a window decal instructing drivers to call the toll-free “On Call” number for emergency assistance or to report information on a missing, lost, or child in danger. “Our On Call link with NCMEC will provide instantaneous help in the hands of so many,” said Bélec.

“Volvo is helping us increase awareness about child safety in communities nationwide,” said Ernie Allen, president and CEO of NCMEC. “By calling on their customers to get involved, Volvo is making them active participants in the search for missing and lost children.”
(source)