West Africa adopt African Youth Declaration for Road Safety

West Africa adopt African Youth Declaration for Road Safety

by | Dec 2, 2023 | News & Blog

Yesterday, YOURS, in collaboration with the UEMOA and the European Commission launched the African Youth Declaration for Road Safety with delegates representing road safety organizations from seven countries in West Africa. The declaration was officially adopted yesterday in Niamey, Niger (Africa) in the start-up meeting of the Caravane project.

The Palais des Sport in Niamey, Niger was the venue where African youth leaders from Togo, Benin, Mali, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Senegal and Niger officially adopted the African Youth Declaration for Road Safety.

YOURS drafted the declaration, in collaboration with the Francophone organizations in West Africa. It was officially accepted, ratified and adopted by the delegates today, signifying road safety action for Africa. The African Youth Declaration arises from THE CARAVANE project within the framework of the “Youth in Action” Programme of the DG Education & Culture of the European Commission.

This document will act as the advocacy arm of the Caravane project that will be initiated and begin its 50 day journey across the seven countries in Africa on the 15th October 2012. Delegates will hand over the declaration to road safety decision makers, road safety ministers, heads of state and key actors in making roads safer in Africa.

Content of the Declaration – What the African youth call for:

  • Create in collaboration with all stakeholders – including youth, a national plan for road safety that put people first. Appoint a lead agency which has leaders responsible for its implementation and coordination;
  • Enact and enforce road traffic laws on the use of seatbelts and helmets, set speed-limits, and a zero tolerance for alcohol– and drug use in traffic and boost your investment of financial resources to make safer roads;
  • Acknowledge the importance of the involvement of youth in road safety by: investing in the development of youth capacities, endorsing post-crash care for (young) road victims and their reinstatement in the African society, engaging with young people in decisions concerning road traffic policies during the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020;
  • Provide safe and affordable public transportation options. Protect drivers and passengers with the use of maintained buses, which are not overcrowded and which are regulated to ensure safety;
  • Invest in safe footpaths, cycle-ways and crossing points, on streets with lower speed limits, particularly around schools and provide resources to youth non-governmental organizations for road safety awareness programs among their peers.

 

Why do we need an African Delcaration for Road Safety?
Road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death among young people (15-29 year olds) and kills more young people than hiv/aids or malaria. The fatality rate per 100.000 population is for the African region 32.2, while the world average is 18.8 fatalities.

Road users most likely to be involved in a road crash are pedestrians, cyclists, motor cyclists, and passengers. Road crashes cost US$ 65 billion in low and middle-income countries, exceeding the total amount received in development assistance. Against this background, we the young people from Africa and potential victims of road traffic crashes stand up for each other and ourselves and we call upon the right to travel safely to attend school and go to work, visit friends and family.

Director of YOURS Floor Lieshout is handed a declaration in an official endorsement with Togo representative Otto Gunther

Casimir Migan from Benin said, ‘The launch of the Decade of Action for Road Safety last year was the first opportunity for us to meet the head of state to discuss road safety and put road safety on the agenda. Now this declaration will act as the second meeting opportunity to bring road safety to the attention of our decision makers with concrete requests for road safety action’.

Maferima Kone from Ivory Coast said, ‘This declaration will be pushed in the Ivory Coast and our organization will work hard to have this declaration signed by decision maker in Ivory Coast’.

Sauleymane Altine from Niger said, ‘This declaration is not just for the Francophone countries and we know that this declaration resonates with young people in the Anglophone countries in Africa, we are united in road safety to make a wider impact through Africa’.

Today, the Caravane project will be officially launched in Niamey and you can expect coverage and a video shortly.

The African Youth Declaration for Road Safety is available to download in English and French in the attachments and we urge youth in the whole of Africa to pick this up and use it! Urge your leaders to follow it’s messages and requests and lets make road safety a priority in Africa.

Counter Measures XIX takes place in November – Arrive Alive

Counter Measures XIX takes place in November – Arrive Alive

by | Dec 2, 2023 | News & Blog

Next month (18-19 November 2012) a provincial conference will be held in Toronto, Canada entitled ‘Counter Measures’ and will mark it’s ninteenth assembly committed to reducing the human carnage caused by impared driving. This year, the conference takes an international theme and is geared toward international perspectives bringing extra focus to the Decade of Action for Road Safety and the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims.

A Message from A.M. (Al) Reid – Arrive Alive
On behalf of arrive alive DRIVE SOBER® I take pleasure in inviting you to Ontario’s 19th Countermeasures Conference.

The bi-annual Countermeasures Conference is a provincial forum for experts and individuals committed to reducing the human carnage on our roads caused by impaired driving. International Perspectives was selected as the theme for this year’s conference to bring attention to the UN’s Global Decade of Action for Road Safety (2011-2020) and the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims.

Countermeasures XIX begins on the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. The Sunday afternoon activities will still include a General Meeting of arrive alive DRIVE SOBER and an open session for front-line police officers hosted by Ontario Provincial Police. To honour the special day, Sunday afternoon and evening will include activities and a reception to commemorate and remember those whose lives have been lost or forever changed by impaired driving.

On Monday, November 19th we will feature two plenary workshops focusing on drugs and driving, international efforts, and ways to reach youth. We will host four breakout opportunities for more intense discussion on areas concerning: toxicological and scientific aspects of the issue, off-road vehicles including e-bikes, the reinstatement process, and how the media can help out with the cause.

On behalf of the Planning Committee and the arrive alive DRIVE SOBER Board of Directors, we look forward to seeing you at the conference. 

A.M. (Al) Reid – Arrive Alive

Youth Engaging Youth Workshop
On day two of the conference, YOURS will present to the conference on the progress made in the field of youth and road safety and combatting impaired driving across the world.

Impaired driving is the number one cause of death and injury for teens in Ontario. Globally, it is said that road crashes are the leading cause of death for young people from 10 – 24 years. The conference will find out what is being done here and around the world with updates from YOURS, OSAID, and Change the Conversation.

Anne Leonard, Exuctive Director of Arrive Alive told YOURS, “We want to gain insight into the international activities being carried out by YOURS – and to showcase our own work in a most meaningful way. Our conference aligns directly with the WDR, it seemed to be a great fit, and has facilitated the involvement of some higher profile road safety professionals.” 

Conference content will include:

  • UN Day of Remembrance for Drugs and Driving
  • Road Traffic Victims Commemoration
  • Reception and Formal dinner (Sunday)
  • Awards Luncheon (Monday)
  • International/Jurisdictional Strategies and Legislation
  • Reinstatement for Impaired Drivers Media and Social Media
  • Off Road Vehicles/Boating/E-bikes Young Drivers/Youth Engagement

This year the dates align directly with the WDR so the organizers have sculpted it to honour the day.  Additionally the conference will have a young lady who co-wrote, performed in, and created in the first video in the right column about texting and driving. She is an aboriginal singer in northern Ontario (Thunder Bay).

More information about the event can be found here.

Marking the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims

Marking the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims

by | Dec 2, 2023 | News & Blog

Next month on the 18th November 2012, the world marks the internationally recognized day of remembrance for road traffic victims; The World Day of Remembrance. The day is marked through a range of activities to remember the victims of fatal road crashes. It also acts as reminder to us all that road safety is ever crucial in the name of these victims and move forward with motivation of reconciliation and road safety action.

‘Now is the time to learn from the past’
This is the topic for this years World Day of Remembrance for road traffic victims. The website www.wdor.org will be updated very soon with more information. We kindly ask all youth advocates for road safety to plan a small event to honour those who have lost their lives on the world’s roads. World Health Organization published a very useful guide with ideas and tips/tricks to organize a succesful event: Click here for the guide.

Each day, nearly 3,500 people die on the roads. Tens of thousands more are injured. Families are broken apart. The futures of young people are dashed. Road crashes have become the leading cause of death for people aged 15 to 29. This is an unacceptable price to pay for our mobility.

On this World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, let us mobilize all possible contributions to improving road safety – from city planners to vehicle designers, from policy makers to road users.

Message of Mr Ban Ki-Moon, UN Secretary General, 2011
Today, on the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, we take pause to mourn the nearly 1.3 million people who lost their lives and the millions of others who were injured on the world’s roads this year.

Our thoughts go out to the families whose loved ones began their day like any other, never to return home. We wish them strength and courage as they struggle to come to terms with their loss.

This World Day of Remembrance will be marked in myriad ways around the world.

Last year, YOURS marked the World Day of Remembrance with the Embrace Life Campaign.

ERSC Contest 2012 – Do not leave it on the elderly – an article

ERSC Contest 2012 – Do not leave it on the elderly – an article

by | Dec 1, 2023 | News & Blog

Recently the European Road Safety Charter finished its summer contest entitled, ‘Be a Road Safety Blogger’ calling on young people across Europe to submit a blog about road safety to craft a message targeting young people across Europe to engage them in road safety.  In this contest, our youth network member Mr Andrej Buday from Slovakia submitted an article of interest and we feature it on our site too.

Do not leave it on the elderly – Andrej Buday Jr (Slovakia)

Dear reader

Cars bring us progress and driving brings us freedom. And what could be better combination of these than being young and having the whole world full of options lying in front of you? Young people from different states of Europe travel today as much as they have never before. Driving and riding a motorbike on short or long distances is so natural for youth that they do not even think about danger and risks on the roads.

Unfortunately, many youngsters consciously hazard with their lives and the lives of others when they drive. Some overestimate their skills; others just have a lack of appropriate driving experiences. We all know what the major problems of moving young people on the roads are: drunk-driving, speeding, not wearing helmets… But rather than writing you some moralizing words about these topics, based on me I will tell you two simple reasons why and how you can start fighting against them.

First of all, similarly to many other young people, I was also looking for a way how to improve things around me. I believe that greatness of the man is not measured by the amount of money that one can earn or spend, but it is measure by how much one can give to the others. Becoming a volunteer in anything is a good option for everybody.

Andrej took part in our Embrace Life Campaign last year.

And secondly, if you like traveling and discovering new places, road safety is the best way how to get on the “ways”. Mobility and transportation is everywhere around us, so are problems and risk. Roads should be ways to exploration and great discoveries, not paths to destruction and death. High speed? Drunk driver? Texting and calling behind the wheel? React, contribute, take actions! It is that easy. Remember to be always polite and respect others. Direct involvement in road safety can have various forms, starting with helping in Red Cross first aid courses, over responsible parties in student organizations such as ESN, to looking after young Scout’s wolf-cubs wearing safety vests during their outdoor activities.

Now I am giving you a chance to consider what you would like to change. Changing a society by fighting wind mills on local or government level is a race on long-distances. But getting on the way of change with road safety involvement is very quick. Do not leave it on the elderly, make change by yourself ! Next time just try to warn somebody who has not fastened his safety belt. You will see the change straight away.

Sincerely yours 
Andrej Buday jr.

Read the blog here at the ERSC website.

The Caravane launches in West Africa next week – find out more!

The Caravane launches in West Africa next week – find out more!

by | Dec 1, 2023 | News & Blog

In partnership with the European Commission, RYD, African Road Safety NGOs and YOURS, the Caravane is a unique and exciting project that will begin its journey in Niger next week and head to 7 countries in North Western Africa disseminating information about road safety, training young people and working with locals to promote active road safety via a road safety caravan.

The First Caravan for Road Safety is taking place in countries part of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) and aims to officially launch the “Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020” in the UEMOA and to promote youth participation in road safety and preventing road crashes in 7 African Member States!

The project is ambitious and unique and YOURS is proud to be partnered with the project hosting its online communications, social outreach and creating a legacy for the project via our YOURS style video trailers of the event as well as capturing the essence of the Caravane ‘live’ through out the project’s 60 day implementation.

As indicated in the map, the Caravane’s jouney is not a small one. Our specially fitted and adapted caravan will travel to 7 countries and bring road safety to these countries when it is welcomed with a specially organized concert and reception.

The site for Caravane is being hosted by YOURS at: www.youthforroadsafety.org/caravane and this will exist within the parametres of the YOURS website although updates from the ground as the Caravane reaches the 7 countries will be provided to us and a live updating of the Caravane site will take place through out the project’s implementation.

While the Caravane takes its journey seven countries who are all part of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), the Caravane aims to prevent road traffic injuries by:

  1. officially launching the `Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020´ in the UEMOA region;
  2. promoting youth participation in road safety;
  3. allowing young Africans to share experiences and good practices in road safety;
  4. advocating for youth and road safety issues at high level officials;
  5. designing a common road safety campaign in the UEMOA region.

This project can also be read in conjunction with the EU Policy orientations for Road Safety 2011-2020 and with the European Youth in Action programme launched by the European Commission and called `Youth in the World´.  Therefore two NGOs based in the European Union will offer their help and share know-how from good practices used in the EU (thanks to RYD) and worldwide (thanks to YOURS).

YOURS will be travelling to Niamey – Niger next week to meet with the partners of the Caravane project and update them on the latest plans to publicise the programme online as well instructions for the video shooting. YOURS is proud that we will train the conductors of the Caravane’s journey in Peer Education and elements of the YOURS – Youth and Road Safety Action Kit. This will give the facilitators extra skills when dealing with young people in Africa via the Caravane. As well as this, YOURS has already drafted the African Youth Declaration for Road Safety that the Caravane’s implementors will use as they enter the countries and meet with heads of state, ministers for transport and road safety.

This project will be an exciting and engaging one and we are looking forward to keepin you updated. We will start with a report from the Niamey launch next week including interviews with the key players in the Caravane.

Road Safety in Canada – a view from our North American representatives

Road Safety in Canada – a view from our North American representatives

by | Dec 1, 2023 | News & Blog

Our North American CORE Group representative Jennifer Heatley teamed up with Chair of the Canadian Road Safety Youth Committee, Sarah Blades to write about some of their experiences of road safety in Canada. Their article is candid and talks about the need for increased investment in young people’s participation in road safety. You can read their article here.

Motor vehicle collisions are the leading cause of death for young people in Canada. In 2009 alone, more than 500 young people between the ages of 15 and 24 were killed on Canada’s roads and almost 3000 experienced a serious injury. This age group makes up 23.4% of all driver fatalities in Canada yet are only approximately 13% of licensed drivers. They are highly over-represented in fatality data.

Like many other countries, Canada made rapid improvements in past decades with the introduction of legislation requiring the use of seatbelts and make impaired driving illegal. In past years though, we have seen a plateau rather than a decrease in fatalities and serious injuries. Impaired driving, speed, distraction and lack of seatbelt use continue to be the main contributing factors to fatal motor vehicle collisions. Youth continue to be over-represented in these statistics.

With some exceptions, the majority of road safety related legislation is sub-national meaning that is the responsibility of one of the 10 provinces or 3 territories that make up Canada. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, it does result in inconsistency with some provinces having stronger legislation than others. Canada’s Road Safety Strategy 2015 is a guide for provinces and territories with respect to policy and programming. Young drivers under the age of 25 are identified as a target population. Graduated drivers’ licensing (GDL) programs is one of the primary recommendations that is youth targeted. GDL allows for youth to learn to drive under the safest possible conditions such as during day time hours, with few passengers, and with zero blood alcohol. Several provinces currently have GDL programs although their strength and the components of the program vary. The Strategy does not require the provinces and territories to implement it or meet any of the targets. While this would be challenging, reducing death and injuries on Canada’s roads will require a strong political commitment to creating the conditions for safety.

Although there is programming and good work happening in the area of youth road safety, the lack of resources invested in the issue has been a challenge. One group that seeks to provide a youth voice into the structure and governance of the national layer of road safety, is the Canadian Road Safety Youth Committee, or the CRSYC. In recent months, the CRSYC has experienced a change in executive and an increase in interest for participation – however without sustained financial resources to operate, and attend national events across Canada’s more than 5000km span, staying engaged is challenging.

In the past, pockets of funding from the federal government had supported the CRSYC periodically; however with the recent erosion of spending programs for road safety education and information generally, federal funds are no longer an avenue for seeking support.

The good news is that several pre-existing national level committees have welcomed participation from the CRSYC, such as the Canadian Association of Road Safety Professionals, the Canadian Global Road Safety Committee, The Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, and the planning committee of the Canadian Multidisciplinary Road Safety Conference, or CMRSC. The high level at which youth input is welcomed and valued in the CMRSC planning committee speaks well for the desire of the road safety community in Canada to engage with youth and young professionals. The CRSYC hopes to continue to collaborate on Canada’s largest gathering of Road Safety professionals, and imbed further into organizations that would like to engage a youth perspective on this serious public health issue for Canadians.