Spotlight on: Rev Magazine – a UK young drivers’ mag

Spotlight on: Rev Magazine – a UK young drivers’ mag

by | Dec 6, 2023 | News & Blog

Our first spotlight of the new year focuses on an innovative young drivers’ magazine based in the UK. Its designer and creator, John Billington created the magazine to intertwine young people’s passion for driving and cars with safe messages. This, added to a sleek, vibrant and youthful design makes it an attractive publication. We talk to Rev magazine’s creator here.

YOURS spoke to Rev.UK magazine creator John Billington to hear about his interest in road safety and the messages behind Rev; the young people’s driving magazine in the UK.

So what’s your background in Road safety?
I started out in road safety talks to groups of teens and children.  After doing that for a couple of years I got the chance to work on the publications. I was amazed to find that other councils wanted to buy them too.  Over the years the response has been genuinely amazing.

My main focus is road safety for children and young people so I’m always looking at different ways to communicate what is in effect a pretty simple message.

The magazine, in its fifth edition focuses on a range of road safety topics to encourage young people to drive safer.

So what motivates you to be involved in road safety, especially young drivers?
I became particularly interested in young drivers after meeting Vicki Stone who had formed the charity “Learn and Live” after her daughter Kate had been tragically killed in a car crash.

I remember one day having a pile of school photos to scan in for a leaflet. They were all of teenagers who’d died in crashes – the fact they were real photos just like the ones of my own children really brought it home to me. As I worked more with Vicki I realised the appalling thing about these tragedies was that they were usually so similar, so predictable and I thought we could be doing so much more to stop them from happening in the first place. You only need to check the web and realise these sort of tragedies are happening across the world on a daily basis.

What’s the background to your publication Rev online?
I’d worked on several editions of Rev which were printed in the traditional way.  The latest magazine is completely online which means that anyone anywhere can read it for free! It can feature Youtube clips, which is ideal when you consider how much time the average young person spends on the internet it’s an inevitable route to go down.

I also use celebrity interviews. I like these as a contrast to the anonymous voice that tells you should and shouldn’t do. Obviously we can line up the questions and delete any answers we don’t like! I used Richard Hammond and James May from “Top Gear” in the latest magazine. They’re both extremely famous in the UK and around the world for their programme so hopefully people will sit up and listen to what they’ve got to say.

With exclusive celebrity interviews, the topic of road safety is given a fresh approach with well known public figures giving their views on driving in today’s modern world.

When it comes to young drivers we’re trying to give them information but also attempting to address their attitudes as well. We’ve got to produce resources that are actually interesting, relevant and readable. It’s no use if we’ve said everything and they’ve heard nothing.

What do you hope to achieve through the publication?
It’s tough enough when you first start driving so you’ve got to be 100% focussed on the task in hand. The problem can be that a few months down the line you can get over confident and think it’s easier than they led you to believe!  We cover all the “hot topics” – like overcrowding, speeding, using the phone, drink and drugs etc.

How can young people get involved?

Well we’re always keen to hear from young drivers about their experiences behind the wheel and what their views are.

People can submit stories, news, views, the lot! As well as the magazine itself we also run a WordPress site, twitter feed and Facebook page so we’re always looking for stuff to put out there! Just email me at john@room9media.com

You can follow all the links and read Revonline by going to our homepage: www.room9media.com

The magazine includes articles from young people, public safety adverts and opinion pieces to encourage attitude change in road safety.

Looking forward, YOURS encourgages to check out the messages in Rev.UK magazine and submit stories for future editions. John has given YOURS exclusive access to the magazine and we will, in the coming weeks, pull out some of the articles and feature them on our website as a special ‘Rev Feature’. To see the magazine online click here.

Happy New Year from YOURS – let’s make it count!

Happy New Year from YOURS – let’s make it count!

by | Dec 6, 2023 | News & Blog

So its back to work for most of us around the world which means continued efforts for road safety. We would like to wish you a very Happy New Year and hope that is it prosperous, constructive and as groundbreaking as 2012 has been. The flame of road safety action for young people continues to burn around the world and we continue our service to the cause in the year to come!

Goodbye 2012 and hello 2013! A New Year gives us the chance to be bigger, better, more resourceful and accomplish more than the previous and that is exactly the plan here at YOURS.

We are delighted to have you on board and we thank you for your unwavering support over the last year! Can you believe that 2013 marks the fourth year of our operations? Since we launched in late 2009, YOURS has continued to expand its network and activities and now has members in over 70 countries! 

This year, we continue to expand our activities and will be inviting you; the youth of the world to take part in TWO global campaigns; calling for protection for pedestrians on the roads around the world: ‘The Long Short Walk’ and a special youth criteria submission to the ‘Global Road Safety Film Festival’. Its an exciting time to be part of the Global Youth Network for Road Safety as this year we open more opportunities, activities and actions for you to take part in. If you are yet to join our thriving online youth network then click here and see if you are eligble to join.

Coming shortly this month are videos from the Caravane Project and videos capturing our first full programme of the Training of Facilitators that took place in Nairobi, Kenya late last year.

As we look back at 2012, in customary fashion, we have created a ‘Year in Pictures’ pulling together some of the moments captured on camera in last year’s journey. We feel the gallery depicts diversity, the energy of youth and the growing work of YOURS! We look forward to working with you all in 2013.

Road safety tips this holiday season – celebrate and stay safe!

Road safety tips this holiday season – celebrate and stay safe!

by | Dec 5, 2023 | News & Blog

The holiday season brings Christmas tidings, family gatherings and festive celebrations all the way through to the new year. As the yuletide song goes; ’tis the season to be jolly’ and young people around the world are the center of attention this season with families ticking off present lists. The winter period offers a chance for family and friends to celebrate the festive period and the end of the year but this season, we urge young people around the world to keep the festivities happy by committing to road safety by making it an embedded part of the enjoyment. Why let good times go bad?

In the winter period, most of the Northern Hemisphere is covered by snow and icy conditions, afterall many of us are ‘Dreaming of a white Christmas’ and white blankets of snow is the youthful preamble for snowmen, snowball fights, snow angels and wonderful memories immortalized in winter photo snaps.

Many of us are enjoying the festive period by coming home from university, college or home from work and will sit back at enjoy the winter party season with a few drinks (if you are that way inclined) and spending time catching up with friends and family. Here at YOURS, we are young people ourselves and we know that at this time, inhibitions are often lower than the rest of the year, kisses are claimed under the mistletoe and young people everywhere will be toasting to the new year ahead, so why let this happy period go sour?

In many countries around the world, the month of December constitutes one of the worst months for road traffic crashes with more crashes happening in this month alone than in the rest of the year. Why is this? There are increased cases of drink driving, drunk pedestrians, crashes related to poor road conditions and lots of other issues making road crashes more prevalent during this season. We don’t want to bring the happy spirits down but we do want preserve life and reduce road crashes! With this in mind, you can follow simple tips to ensure the holiday period continues without the tragic loss of life or serious injuries…keep safe this season to enjoy the year ahead!

During the winter period, there is often more traffic on the roads and as drivers you should: 

  • Always prepare yourself before traveling by using a serviced car that is suitable for the road
  • Ensure your car is fit for the road, check your battery and anti-freeze levels
  • Think about your journey before you leave and incorporate rest breaks to combat fatigue
  • During bad weather conditions, you should be prepared in case of a breakdown with extra clothing, blanket, torch and so forth
  • Always follow your nation’s safety rules in case of a breakdown
  • Leave extra distance from vehicles in bad driving conditions (icy, rainy, muddy etc)
  • Leave extra time for your journey and drive slower in bad driving conditions

Whether you are a driver or not, you can increase your safety by ensuring:

  • As a pedestrian, using reflective clothing in reduced light conditions and not being distracted
  • As a two-wheel driver, ensuring you can be seen and always wear a helmet
  • The driver never speeds and observes the safety rules
  • All occupants of the car wear a seat belt
  • The driver never drives tired and encourage regular breaks from driving
  • The driver is not distracted
  • Never ever drink and drive or drive under the influence of drugs 

This year, if you are driving, why not try ‘Mocktails’ instead of cocktails? They are alcohol free and you should definitely not drive under the influence of alcohol at all!

We wish everybody a very happy holiday season and hope you will all commit to road safety during this challenging driving period. Remember, road safety is not just important during the winter period, it is important all year round. We as young people embrace life and commit to road safety, just like our 2011 campaign, so continue to enjoy your life into the new year by being a road safety ambassador and protecting your loved ones and each other!

The power of peer education – an experience in Kenya

The power of peer education – an experience in Kenya

by | Dec 5, 2023 | News & Blog

One of the mantras of our work at YOURS is based on the belief that young people of a similar age, background, interests and social identities can influence each other in positive ways. This approach to social health education is called ‘peer education’ and is a key proponent of our work. Read about the power of peer education in the example of Kenyan young people taking the lead in their own road safety workshops.

Peer education is powerful tool that has been embraced in life saving education programs the world over. One of the most profound examples in recent times has been the promotion of young people as ‘educators’ to their peers in the prevention of HIV Aids run by UNICEF.

Peer education is based on the reality that many people make changes not only based on what they know, but on the opinions and actions of their close, trusted peers. Peer educators can communicate and understand in a way that the best-intentioned adults can’t, and can serve as role models for change. Peer educators can help raise awareness, provide accurate information, and help their classmates develop skills to change behavior. – UNICEF

Translating this approach to road safety has also illustrated the groundbreaking strides that peer education can make. Most recently, our Training of Facilitators, a two-week intensive program that was undertaken from 26th November-6th December 2012 in Nairobi, Kenya put road safety peer education to the test.

After undergoing an intensive week of road safety theory through brain friendly, interactive learning workshops, our 11 facilitators from across Kenya became skilled in their topic of interest; preventing road crashes amongst their peers, loved ones and communities. The training equipped the young people with the skills needed to understand the road safety crisis in Kenya and steps needed to challenge the current status.

Facilitators wearing the ‘traffic light logo t-shirts’ connect with their local peers.

In the second week of the training, the practical element, YOURS staff undertook a demonstration workshop with local young people from Nairobi at the Kenya Red Cross, the purpose of which was to enable the facilitators to watch and observe the concepts of learning in practice with a relatively uninformed group of young people; uninformed in the case of road safety. On observation, the participants were receptive, eager to learn and engaged well in the training session, however, when the facilitators (all Kenya born and bred) took the reigns for their own sessions with another group of young people, the results were remarkable.

It is here that the power of peer education took its own dimension. The facilitators interacted with their peers, those of similar, background, interests and social expectations, in a way that our demonstration workshops clearly lacked. The ability of Kenya based facilitators interacting with their own ‘real’ peers manifested in an interaction between the peers in powerful demonstration of cohesion. The facilitators were able to draw upon local examples that struck chords with the participants; they were able to offer explanations in the local Kiswahilli language, engage the group in educative games sensitive to social expectations and connected with the group in a way that no other young people from any other country would be able to connect.

The facilitators designed their sessions in their own unique style engaging their peers in a local context.

In other words, local young people educating local young people; their peers, was more profound in transmitting a message than I could ever have imagined. On reflection of pre and post evaluation questionnaires (used to map attitude change in the young participants) there results were indicative of the power of peer education in changing attitudes. All participants who answered in the pre-workshop questionnaires a ‘lack in knowledge on a road safety topic’ showed that they had learned a lot in short period of time as noted in their ‘post-workshop questionnaire’. Some participants even stated that they would always wear a helmet on two wheels and will encourage all their friends to do the same because of its importance.

While peer education does have its limitations in the sense of assessing long term attitude and behavior change, what is clear is that skilled young people educating their peers is a very strong approach in transmitting messages of safety to young people; a group who is particularly difficult to reach in terms of public safety messages.  This approach, however, does only focuses on one aspect of the road safety system; that of awareness and education, however, if peer education is coupled with adequate road safety laws, enforcement, good road safety infrastructure and safer vehicles, strides could be made for road safety in Africa. This is why our program equipped our facilitators to also become advocates for road safety, calling for better road safety on all levels.

The dynamism of the young Kenyan people was harnessed in the facilitators’ own workshops.

Through follow-up with the facilitators and the participants of the workshops, we will map whether the group still hold the same attitudes towards road safety as they did at the end of the workshops. If young people, passionate about road safety can continue to convince their peers on the importance of being safe on the road, we can create a generation of safety conscious young people that include road safety in their agendas for decades to come. One day, road traffic crashes will cease to be the biggest killer of young people because young people themselves took action to change these statistics.

Brian’s Column: The ‘Zemijahn’ factor in the road safety of Benin

Brian’s Column: The ‘Zemijahn’ factor in the road safety of Benin

by | Dec 5, 2023 | News & Blog

In his regular column for YOURS, Brian draws upon his experiences across Africa and gives us his unique perspective on road safety issues in the African region. In his final article of the year, he writes about his recent experience for his visit in Benin and reflects upon some good and bad road safety practises as well as his safety tips for the holiday period.

Hello every one!!! Merry Christmas and happy New Year! I wish I could give everyone a Christmas and a happy New Year’s card! Every one say, ‘Thank you!’ Greetings from Porto Novo, Benin! Wait, now you must be wondering what I am doing in Benin, but yeah…I didn’t come here to conduct a coup on the current Benin government- I can explain. As you may be aware, YOURS conducted the first ever African Youth Assembly on Road Safety in Niamey-Niger, October 2011 yes? Right, that platform marked a generation of road safety ambassadors (including myself) in my continent-Africa!

Brian talks about his experience in Benin

Now, you are also aware of something called the ‘African Union’ yes? Well, it’s an umbrella of all African countries united by the word ‘Pan Africanism’ I will discuss with you more about this if you invite me over Christmas. The point is, I am part of the African Union Youth Volunteers who from 9th-22nd December 2012 are undergoing an intensive course in African leadership, volunteerism and staying safe. We are live in Songhai-a very historic and cultural site…please consult my other half, Madam Google for details. I thank you!

So, I touched down Cotonou Airport in Benin at 11:30am on 9th Dec and oh, boy…the temperatures…It must have been around 38 degrees! I hurried myself into a taxi, put on my seatbelt, upon which I yelled (not really) to the driver ‘Your seatbelt Monsieur Sil vous plait’ (considering my inefficient French) before we started our way to Porto-Novo town which is just 25km from Cotonou airport.

Listen carefully; I was left in a state of ‘Wao’ when I saw that motorcyclists and pedestrians had different routes from the cars, Lorries along the highway! Yesssssss!!!!! This is not a joke! ‘This is Impossible’, I could hear myself saying. I’ve never, never, NEVER, NEVER seen something like this in any of the African Countries I’ve visited! It was really amazing to see a 25km long road with a separate highway for motorcyclists! I almost felt like summoning all presidents of my continent for a ‘learning experience’ before I realized that I am not the Secretary General of Africa or the UN in this case! At least, not yet!

Benin champions separate lanes exclusively for the motorcycles.

3 days ago, my friends and I headed out to have a look around Porto Novo town. Everything seemed interesting until I realized that Motorbikes here are sold like a cigarettes in a shop. You have the money? You pay now. You go away. You start riding! There is no period for certification or registration of the motorcycle. In fact, there is NO registration numbers on all the motorbikes I saw that very day! That’s not interesting no? How about this: – selling petrol on the streets in transparent-like glass…and WHAT?!…I have seen some men smoking around those zones! As usual, I don’t sit and start speculating, so to gather some evidence, I jogged to the police who were doing amazing work of controlling and directing traffic (which to me, is the work of traffic lights).

Petrol being sold on the streets in Benin in a very unstable and dangrerous format – a scary experience when people were smoking near by!

‘The government tried registering these motorbikes, but we had too many coming from the neighboring countries. The system fell and we no longer register them. We are encouraging people to buy cars instead’, said one of the traffic police officers. Now, that’s kind of interesting because it means, the government doesn’t have an idea of how many motorbikes are in the country. There was no need of inquiring whether the motorbike riders were certified officially as well as investigating why they don’t put on helmets.

Road traffic crashes continue to claim lives in Benin with at least 3 crashes being registered in Porto Novo alone every day. That’s very scary considering Doctor Santi and Mademoiselle Christmas are coming in town! Needless to mention, young people are at the heart of the negative outcomes of these crashes! 

The influx of motorcycles in Benin has left them unregulated and unlicensed

While the New Year will come along with her own challenges, the road safety situation in Benin continues to be jaw dropping and our governments need to style up. It is important that we know how many motorcycles are on our roads with correct licensing, to ensure adequate access to high quality helmets and ensure motorcyclists are tested on their ability to ride before they do so. While there may be a motorway for motorcyclists, even more can be done to make sure road users are safer such as providing safer pedestrian routes free from all motorized vehicles!

Meanwhile, as we get set for Christmas and the New Year’s celebrations Just don’t do something I wouldn’t do, here are my safety tips for the holiday period:

  • Don’t drink and drive!
  • Don’t speed (its even more dangerous if conditions are icy, wet etc.)
  • Don’t forget to use your helmet & seatbelt!
  • Be visible at all times , especially in dark areas as a pedestrian, cyclist, motorcyclist etc.
  • Don’t forget to check your car before you set off for the road and ensure its in good working order!
  • Take breaks after 2 hours drive and never drive tired!
  • Install first aid boxes in your car!

Don’t eat too much during Christmas and the New Year! STAY ALIVE! STAY SAFE! See you next year! Inshallah!!!!

Texting and music put distracted pedestrians at risk – US Report

Texting and music put distracted pedestrians at risk – US Report

by | Dec 5, 2023 | News & Blog

A report issued today by the University of Washington and Seattle Children’s Hospital indicates that pedestrians distracted by talking on the phone, texting and listening to music are less likely to pay attention to the road. The report highlighted in the journal Injury Prevention adds to growing bank of evidence that distracted pedestrians are flouting basic road safety principles.

Source: USA Today

Many pedestrians crossing busy streets are also busy doing something else — usually listening to music, texting or talking on a phone — and those distracted walkers are often failing to look both ways for traffic or follow other safety rules, a new study confirms.

The study, conducted in Seattle this past summer, may be the largest yet to look at real-world pedestrians in our age of distraction: It found that more than 26% of the 1,000-plus walkers were using electronic devices as they navigated intersections where pedestrians had been hit in the past.

In the US, texting and walking is becoming a rising trend according to the new report bringing pedestrian injury numbers higher than ever.

And the distraction showed: Texters were nearly four times less likely than other pedestrians to follow all safety rules, including looking both ways, staying in the crosswalk and obeying signals; and both texters and talkers took extra time to cross the street. Music-listeners walked faster, but often failed to look for cars, say researchers from the University of Washington and Seattle Children’s Hospital, who reported findings Wednesday in the journal Injury Prevention.

The findings could help explain why pedestrian deaths are increasing nationwide, even as other traffic-related deaths hit historic lows, as reported by the federal government this week.

Walkers who text, just like drivers who text, may be most at risk, says researcher Beth Ebel: “Texting is pulling you out of where you are and putting your mind somewhere else… You are on autopilot and that puts you on risk.”

The facts about texting and driving from the It can Wait Campaign.

The findings are generally in line with those from other researchers, including some who test pedestrian behavior in lab simulations.

“We are finding very clearly that it’s dangerous to be distracted when you cross the street,” says David Schwebel, a professor of psychology who runs a pedestrian behavior lab at the University of Alabama-Birmingham.

In some of his experiments, people listening to music are more likely to be hit by virtual cars than those who are texting. He speculates that hearing cars may be at least as important as seeing them. But he says “we’ve looked at talking on the phone, browsing the Internet, listening to music, talking to someone next to you… all of those things increase the risk for pedestrian injury.”Unpublished data from emergency room records shows injuries among pedestrians using cellphones increased steadily from 2005 to 2010, says Jack Nasar, a researcher at Ohio State University.

Some communities have considered fining distracted walkers and Schwebel says it may take that to change behavior. Nasar says he favors taking steps such as posting “Put down your cell phone” signs at crosswalks and educating the public. “Parents should tell their children to put down their cellphones while walking,” he says. And they “should model and follow their own advice.”

Ebel, a pediatrician, says most of the distracted walkers in her study were adults, but she thinks changing the behavior of children and teens is most urgent. One suggestion: She would like to see middle and high school students repeat her study and watch for distracted pedestrians in their neighborhoods. That alone, she says, could raise awareness and change habits.

In the UK, since 2008, Manpreet Darroch, Director of Tune into Traffic and Communications Officer for YOURS – Youth for Road Safety has been campaigning for better pedestrian awareness of the road and in particular, to remove earphones while on the road.

He said, ‘It is alarming that pedestrian injuries are on the increase around the world according to this report. As young people are the most affected age group in terms of road traffic crashes we must do more to reduce dangers such as walking distracted and lower speed limits around schools and play areas. In many parts of the world, pedestrians still need safe footpaths and pedestrian crossings, this can go a long way to preventing crashes with pedestrians. We already know that texting while driving is an incredibly dangerous action that has cost many young lives on our roads. We must ensure that this message is transferred to pedestrian safety. We urge young people to take extra care while on the road, to remain distraction free as the road is a dangerous place, it is up to us youth to set the example for our peers’.