Brian’s Column: Is #roadsafety part of your new year’s resolutions?

Brian’s Column: Is #roadsafety part of your new year’s resolutions?

by | Dec 9, 2023 | News & Blog

Brian, our regular columnist from Uganda is back for another year to talk about all things road safety in Africa. In this column, he focuses on places road safety as a new year resolution and being conscious of being safe so as you can continue to bring in many more new years to come!

Hello fellow young people! How’re you doing?! I should have known it! You must be just recovering from the Christmas and New Year’s break; the time where you must have spent some quality time with your families and loved ones: and we all love doing that, don’t we? We all like being, as Chris Daughtry says in his HOME song, ‘in a place where love is always enough for me…plus, it costs nothing’! But, shh, #BriansColumn is back!

It’s already a new year, unless you are following the Ethiopian-type-of-calendar: – but world over, a lot of people have welcomed 2014 already! Yippy! But, exactly, what does this mean to us, as young people? Clearly, we’ve added another year to our already many tallies of our age! That sounds a little mean, but I don’t need to remind anyone about their “Keeping Their Dreams Alive”. It’s that part of the year, where we sit cross-legged and begin to state our ambitions and expectations for the New Year! Many of us could be: 

  • Well, you know, planning to buy our sexy, first and fast car!
  • Ahhh, planning to have our own families? With kids running around, or seeing the kids go to school for their first day?
  • Planning a road safety project for your peers or local community, I don’t know!
  • Let me see, planning on starting a new international volunteer experience?
  • How about starting/finishing your course at college, university, primary or secondary school?
  • Or just, may be, having a good time with your friends, and only you knows the rest!

The good news however, is that, we can only achieve our dreams only if we’re ALIVE!  This brings me back to where it all started, ‘Is #roadsafety and your personal safety for that matter, part of your new year’s resolutions? 

We often don’t ‘plan’ to stay alive or make a resolution about it but choosing to actively commit to road safety can really make a big difference to our lives by keeping us and those around us safe!
 

Lets take this personal, shall we? Do you plan to commit to all of the following in the New Year?

Does any of the above, make any sense to you, regarding what you should shop for, as you embark on the New Year? As one of the participants in the last concluded YOURS Road Safety workshop for young people in Nairobi, Kenya said, and I quote, “There is no good excuse for one not to put on a helmet. They don’t need to have wipers like a cash dashboard; neither do they need to be air conditioned! It’s a choice, and we have the choice to make. And its my safety, oursafety!” Check out a video about it in the right column!

Wishing everyone (from Mombasa-Kenya to Equatorial Guinea, Cairo-Egypt to Cape of Good Hope-South Africa) and the whole YOURS global family, a safe year as we chase after our dreams!

Twitter: @BrianBilalK1

Distracted Driving, Josh’s Story – the real impact of a life lost

Distracted Driving, Josh’s Story – the real impact of a life lost

by | Dec 9, 2023 | News & Blog

The London Health Science Center in Ontario, Canada recently shared a heart wrenching story of distracted driving that profoundly affected a family in 2009. Josh, a popular and talented man young man was in the prime of his life, a life which was cut short in an instance because of distracted driving.

When a young life is lost on the road, it often becomes statistic added to the relentless death toll that is road traffic crashes. However, we know that behind every single life lost, the human tragedy is unquatifiable. Every day over 1000 young people are killed on the world’s roads and these deaths are more than just a number, they are brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, friends and loved ones.

Josh’s Story was recently shared with us by the London Health Science Center (LHSC) in Ontario Canada. Josh’s Story has been captured in video and recalls the heartbreaking accounts, the moment when Josh was killed on the road because of distracted driving. The video recalls the moment in poignant conversations with friends and family.

Friends and family recall the moment that they heard that Josh had been involved in a road crash.

The devastation that is left behind when a young person is killed on the road is the key focus of the film. Josh’s friends recall the moment where they heard that ‘Josh was gone’ and the moment where they heard that the reason behind Josh’s death was because he reached for his mobile phone while driving. This split second of distraction caused Josh to ‘end up in a ditch’ and cause injuries that tragically cost his life.

The film acts as a real life example of the tragic consequences road traffic crashes can have.

In the hope of preventing such instances happening to other families, Josh’s parents hope to raise awareness of his story so as young people are aware of the speed in which a life can be taken because of distracted driving. LHSC say, “A moment of distraction led to a personal tragedy for a local family. We all make decisions, every day, sometimes the consequences of those decisions can be so final. This is Josh’s Story. We hope that this video makes you think twice before reaching for a phone or texting while driving”.

Happy New Year! – let’s make 2014 the year of action

Happy New Year! – let’s make 2014 the year of action

by | Dec 9, 2023 | News & Blog

Everybody at YOURS wishes you a big warm welcome to 2014 and as we say goodbye to the great year of 2013, we look ahead to a year of road safety action all across the world. Our mission to create a world where young people are safe on the roads is stronger than ever and the road safety flame burns strong, igniting new beacons of action around the world as we continue our work and look ahead to the new year.

2013 proved to be another massive year at YOURS as we look back at the groundbreaking year that was, we welcome 2014 and the promise it brings for road safety action for young people all around the world. This year is set to be the biggest yet with lots of road safety activity, campaigning and advocacy as we look ahead to year of action!

We thank you for all your support over the past year and know we can count on you to make 2014 another brilliant year. We have some key highlights from the previous year to be proud of, your involvement in our joing campaigns and efforts. 

2013 was another big year for YOURS as we increased our activity on the ground and expanded our network to over 70 countries!
 

We are now representing youth and road and safety organizations, projects and campaigns in all continents and bring this voice to the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration. You can join still join our network as applications are open all year round.

Everybody at YOURS wishes you a big warm welcome to 2014 and as we say goodbye to the great year of 2013, we look ahead to a year of road safety action all across the world. Our mission to create a world where young people are safe on the roads is stronger than ever and the road safety flame burns strong, igniting new beacons of action around the world as we continue our work and look ahead to the new year.

2013 proved to be another massive year at YOURS as we look back at the groundbreaking year that was, we welcome 2014 and the promise it brings for road safety action for young people all around the world. This year is set to be the biggest yet with lots of road safety activity, campaigning and advocacy as we look ahead to year of action!

We thank you for all your support over the past year and know we can count on you to make 2014 another brilliant year. We have some key highlights from the previous year to be proud of, your involvement in our joing campaigns and efforts.

2013 was another big year for YOURS as we increased our activity on the ground and expanded our network to over 70 countries!

We are now representing youth and road and safety organizations, projects and campaigns in all continents and bring this voice to the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration. You can join still join our network as applications are open all year round.

Update from the European Youth Forum for Road Safety

Update from the European Youth Forum for Road Safety

by | Dec 9, 2023 | News & Blog

At the end of November, our European CORE Group Representative Mr. Axel Druart hosted and chaired the European Youth Forum for Road Safety (EYFRS) in partnrship with the province of Crotone, Italy. The forum is a regular European Event organized by Responsible Young Drivers Belgium and supported by the European Commission. We give you an update here!

After a year and a half of constant awareness-raising activities and permanent networking to create a concrete road safety youth community, the EYFRS Youth Taskforce set the 5th Edition of the Forum in South Italy, hosted by the Province of Crotone, coordinated by Responsible Young Drivers, and supported by the European Commission (DG MOVE). The two-day conference took place on the 28th & 29th of November 2013, with a Pre-Forum organized by the Province of Crotone on the 27th. Its main objective was to transform this existing ongoing youth forum network into a referenced youth community acting as a recognized entity.

The Forum will as usual, welcomed two youth delegates from each of the 28 EU Member States (selected on the basis of their active involvement in road safety) to debate with experts on current road safety matters involving youngsters all across Europe, and hence come up with concrete and innovative solutions. One key purpose of the forum was for the participants to transmit their know-how to future generations, to reach hundred thousand other youngsters through common campaigning, and use the strength of this united youth community to make roads safer for all their young peers.

Delegates from over 28 countries across Europe came together to tackle road safety in th region.

This year’s topics were defined in line with the European Commission’s Policy orientations for road safety 2011-2020 based on the outcomes of 3 Workshops (in France, Greece and Hungary) which gathered young professionals and experts (the EYFRS taskforce).

The youth delegates widely debated on the following themes:

  •     Pedestrians’ safety (though the creation of a video campaigning),
  •     Public Transports (bringing up a strategy to promote and lobby its stakeholders),
  •     Alcohol & Driving (proposing new tools and improve awareness-raising activities),
  •     Enforcement (through education with youngsters and police forces),
  •     Social Media (aiming at creating a recognized European cyber entity & community),
  •     Sustainability of the EYFRS (thanks to the election of an informal Board of Directors committing to handle its management all through the decade).

A few pictures from the European Youth Forum for Road Safety 2013.

You can also see a ‘harlem shake’ from the EYFRS delegates in the video in the right column!

Message from the European Commission to the European Youth Forum for Road Safety
Fatal road crashes are still the most common cause of death for young people in Europe. Young car drivers, aged 18-24, still make up almost one fifth of all who are killed in car accidents – although the age group makes up only a tenth of the populati

Last year, Commission Vice President Siim Kallas addressed these issues at the Fourth European Road Safety Day in Nicosia, Cyprus. He talked about the importance of continued hard efforts towards the strategic target of halving the number of road deaths. In particular, he stressed the serious problems of drink-driving and drug-driving by young people, recommending a zero-tolerance approach for safety.

I am very pleased to see that the European Youth Forum for Road Safety picked up the Commission messages from last year and has taken them further in workshops and discussions throughout this year. Your meeting in Crotone provides the opportunity to take further steps. The future is in the hands of the young, so let’s make the most of this opportunity.

Szabolcs Schmidt,
Head of the Road Safety Unit; European Commission

Over in South-Eastern Europe, the first Bulgarian Road Safety Forum with international participation was held on December 4, 2013 in “Serdika” hall of the Sheraton Sofia Hotel Balkan.

More than a hundred experts from Bulgaria, Belgium, Hungary, Greece and the Netherlands took part in the forum. The chosen theme for 2013 was “Road Safety – Challenges and Solutions”. We have tried to minimize the handling of dry statistics in the program and involve less discussed issues concerning infrastructure (road safety audit), insurance (“bonus-malus” system), economics (financial impact of the problem), ISO 39001:2012 (safety certification), and innovations in the field of prevention of risks on the road.
Interesting conclusions from the Forum:

Mr. Daniel Vankov: “We need to be more and more creative in securing funding for prevention of traffic related risks on the road, because the issue is becoming less “sexy” on European level”. Read more about the Bulgarian Road Safety Forum here.

New Turkish road safety campaign warns of risks of speeding!

New Turkish road safety campaign warns of risks of speeding!

by | Dec 9, 2023 | News & Blog

The World Health Organization and the Government of Turkey have launched a new campaign to prevent speeding on Turkey’s roads. “Think About Consequences, Slow Down Your Speed”, released under the banner of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Global Road Safety Programme, aims to reduce the number of deaths and injuries due to speeding.

According to the Global status report on road safety 2013, more than 8700 people lose their lives and an estimated 200 000 people are injured in road traffic crashes in Turkey each year. Speeding is considered one of the main risk factors for fatal crashes. Studies reveal that the relationship between speed and injury severity is particularly critical for vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists.

There is extensive evidence from around the world that road safety campaigns complemented by the strict enforcement of laws can dramatically decrease reckless behavior on the roads.

“Over 8700 Turkish citizens are killed in road traffic crashes each year. The launch of this new social marketing campaign highlighting the dangers of speeding, along with increased police enforcement, will reduce the number of road traffic crashes and unnecessary fatalities and injuries on Turkey’s roads,” said Kelly Henning, who leads public health programs at Bloomberg Philanthropies. “We support efforts to strengthen The Highway Traffic Safety Law to ensure greater safety on Turkey’s roads.”

The campaign is part of a broader effort of a consortium of partners to improve road safety in the country. The Road Safety Project in Turkey focuses on Ankara and Afyonkarahisar and two major risk factors: speeding and seat-belt use. This new speeding prevention campaign will be aired locally for a period of four weeks, and consists of television commercials, radio messages and outdoor and indoor print-ads on billboards and buses.

Prince Michael Road Safety Awards – international winners

Prince Michael Road Safety Awards – international winners

by | Dec 9, 2023 | News & Blog

HRH Prince Michael of Kent GCVO is Patron of the Commission for Global Road Safety. Since 1987 The Prince’s Awards have given public recognition to those who have improved road safety throughout Britain. Now the Prince Michael International Road Safety Awards recognise outstanding achievement and innovation world-wide.

International awards
The Award scheme is developing outside Britain and similar schemes based on the PMIRSA model have been established in other countries. Where schemes have been endorsed by PMIRSA they use the same evaluation criteria applied by local judging panels. Where a nomination demonstrates an example of ‘best practice’ which could be applied outside its country of origin it may be considered for an ‘International Award’.

Consideration will be given for an international award where a nomination demonstrates an example of safety improvement or best practice designed/implemented in a cross border operation or one that could be easily adapted for use outside its country of origin.
2013

The “Buckle Up!” national campaign to promote seat belt use has received an International Award.
The “Buckle Up!” national campaign to promote seat belt use has received a Prince Michael International Road Safety Award. The campaign was a joint project of the General Department of Road Traffic Safety of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Russian Association of Motor Insurers (RAMI), and the NGO Road Safety Russia. 

The award was presented to Road Safety Russia by His Royal Highness Prince Michael of Kent, Patron of the Commission for Global Road Safety, at the 17th Annual Award Ceremony in London on 10 December.

Accepting the award, President of Road Safety Russia, Natalia Agre, said that the “Buckle Up!” campaign was part of a broader effort by the General Department of Road Traffic Safety and RAMI to establish a road safety culture. They have been doing a tremendous amount of work for many years now. “In the last eight years, there has been a particular emphasis in Russia on work relating to seat belts, and campaigns like “Buckle Up!” are achieving results: studies show that people have indeed started to buckle up. While in 2006 only 30% of people always used a seatbelt, in 2012 it was 80%,” Ms Agre said.

GRSP Wins International Road Safety Award
In winning this Prince Michael Award, GRSP demonstrated over an extended period how its unique partnership model brings together the multiple voices, experiences, expertise and resources of the private sector, public sector and civil society, with singular purpose, to make transport systems safer. GRSP’s model of building multi-sectorial partnerships that meet the social objectives of communities, create stable social and financial environments, and benefit the long-term interests of the business sector shows innovation rarely seen, and most importantly, delivers sustainable impact at the global, regional, national and local levels.

Argentina Road Safety Lead Agency wins International Award
This overall project development objectives are to contribute to the reduction of road traffic injuries and fatalities in Argentina through the strengthening of its institutional framework and management capacity for road safety and the reduction of road deaths and injuries in selected pilot corridors.

Dubai receives Royal Award for Mobility and Action Plan
The Dubai Road and Transport Authority has produced a programme that sets out to guide infrastructure and policy improvements as well as increasing walking safety and mobility for Dubai residents and visitors. The five year goal of the plan is to achieve 30% improvement in pedestrian safety and a 20% increase in pedestrian mobility.

Odessa Road Safety Project recognised
Using a road safety demonstration project in Odessa, the Ukraine has shown that saving lives does not have to cost a lot of money.

Financed by the European Union and supported by the Eastern Alliance for Safe and Sustainable Transport (EASST), this project was rolled out between June and November 2011.

Centred around low cost campaigns, each focussed on a single issue, was developed in line with international best practice and was supported with effective enforcement.

Royal Dutch Shell road safety achievement recognised with Prince Michael International Road Safety Award
At Shell, safety is always the top priority. The business aims for zero fatalities and no incidents that harm people, or put its neighbours or facilities at risk.

In addition to a strict internal road safety regime for its own people and contractors, Shell has committed support for the UN led Global Decade of Action, which aims to save five million lives by 2020, through its community and corporate programmes.

Jamaican Road Safety Council receives Royal Award
Jamaica’s national coordinating body for road safety promotion, the National Road Safety Council (NRSC) has received a prestigious Prince Michael International Road Safety Award in recognition of its contribution to improving road safety in Jamaica. It has seen how effective leadership and a concentrated effort by a dedicated team can make a real difference and save lives.

Russian Federation recognised with 2013 Decade of Action Award
During a high level forum held in St Petersburg, HRH Prince Michael of Kent, Patron of the Commission for Global Road Safety, presented the 2013 Decade of Action Award to the Russian Federation. The Award recognises Russia’s leadership in promoting the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety. Russia hosted the first ever Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety in 2009, which set the agenda for the Decade of Action, sponsored the UN General Assembly Resolution establishing the Decade of Action and ensured that road safety was recognised at the Rio+20 sustainable development summit in 2012.