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.

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.

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.

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.

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.