Foreward to the Annual Report 2019

Before many young people can start realizing their dreams, they are taken from the world because of road crashes. Every day more than a thousand of them die on the roads and with them their dreams for a life and future. Most of these deaths are preventable, and it saddens me to tell you that I am not able to bring you a different message on the eve of YOURS’ 10-year anniversary in 2020.

While the Decade of Action for Road Safety is ending I am frustrated that we as a road safety community did not manage to make more impact by stabilizing and more importantly reducing global road traffic fatalities.

We can all agree that progress has been made. Some countries and cities have demonstrated remarkable results in terms of lives saved and injuries reduced. But I hope to see accelerated action on the proven evidence-based strategies for road safety globally as youth continue to pay a big cost for our failing mobility systems. There is an urgent need for multidisciplinary collaboration and effective leadership across all sectors to reduce road traffic deaths and injuries. That is why the upcoming 3^rd Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety set for February 2020 is very interesting and important. I hope it will bring much needed energy, innovation and funding to our cause. It is also my wish that governments will start listening to and engaging with youth.

Globally, we need to meaningfully involve youth as key stakeholders in this crisis. And if decision-makers are not coming to the youth, we will bring the youth to them. The day before the Ministerial Conference, YOURS and its partners will organize the 2^nd World Youth Assembly for Road Safety. This is will be a momentous occasion for the global youth movement for road safety.

We have already consulted with youth leaders from around the globe in the lead up to the Assembly. Together they have given us a deeper insight into the reality youth face on the world’s roads every day. They have described how traffic injuries affect their lives and how it relates to the Sustainable Development Goals. These diverse youth voices will be translated into a Global Youth Statement for Road Safety and adopted during the Youth Assembly. We foresee that this statement will become a major tool for youth to advocate for safe mobility and claim a seat at the decision-making table.

While humanity is facing the coronavirus pandemic, we see the world coming together. Countries are working side-by-side and ramping up efforts to tackle this outbreak. And although it is uncertain how the world will look in the coming year, this might be the time to reset and reshape our future on how we travel for the better.

Floor Lieshout
Executive Director

Room 9 Media was started in 2011 by John and Denise Billington. They have years of experience in safer and sustainable travel, communications and education.  They have been developing new and exciting resources ever since.

Right from the start, their objectives have been simple: to tackle the issues children and families face on the roads. So whether it’s pedestrian safety, parking problems or sustainable travel, they seek to deliver a memorable message that’s both relevant and engaging.

Room 9 Media recently started a new podcast amidst the pandemic, to hear from voices across sustainable transport and road safety. In episode 3, they spoke with our Head of Communications, Mr Manpreet Darroch about his road safety journey and the work of YOURS and in episode 5 they spoke with Jacob Smith.

On Twitter, Room 9 Media said, “Take a listen to our inspiring podcast with Jacob Smith from YOURS about how a road traffic crash affected his life and how he’s become an advocate for safer roads…“.

Listen to the podcast here:

Alliance Live Sessions

Alliance Live Sessions are expert-led panel discussions exploring issues outside but connected to road safety. Each session will look at a particular theme, through the lens of COVID-19 and the lessons that we can take from the current pandemic, plus how road safety NGOs can work with other activists from different SDGs to bring their causes together with a unified voice.

23 June 2020 3pm CEST/9am EDT Road traffic injuries have been the leading killer of young people worldwide for over a decade and are often tokenized without meaningful engagement. How can NGOs involve and empower youth in building programs that also improve the lives of youth?

We have teamed up with the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund of Namibia (MVA) to participate in a Youth Road Safety Webinar. Road traffic injuries are globally the leading causes of death of young people. This is unacceptable and avoidable. Youth themselves play an important role in preventing these tragedies, for example by being role models, talking with their peers, and advocating for improved road safety wherever they are. According to the MVA Fund Annual Crash and Claims Report 2019, about half (46%) of the number of persons injured were the youth (16-35 years) 46% and another 10% of those injured were children of 15 years and younger. Young person’s records 45% of those killed in road crashes, and another 15% were children 15 years and younger of those who died.

The first ever World Youth Assembly for Road Safety was held during the first United Nations Global Road Safety Week in 2007, providing a unique opportunity for youth from around the world to collaborate on global road safety issues. Together, more than 200 young delegates from over 100 countries discussed ways in which national success stories can be disseminated, and explored different methods of implementing the Youth Declaration for Road Safety. At the Assembly, these young delegates were inspired, empowered, and encouraged to serve as ambassadors at home and abroad by advocating road safety in their country, region, and the global community at large.

Namibia attended the 3rd Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety in Stockholm, Sweden from 19-20 February 2020. Presentations were done by the World Youth Assembly on Road Safety highlighting the scourge of unnecessary deaths of young people in developing countries and demanded to be part of the decision making towards creating more sustainable, accessible and safe transport systems. Subsequently, it was resolved to consider a Youth Road Safety Summit – the first of its kind to be hosted by MVA Fund. The timeline is set to be around June 16, 2020 which also marks some international youthful events such as Day of the African Child (DAC).

The webinar will be live on MVA  Facebook on Tuesday 16th June: 2-4pm (CAT) – GMT+2

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Across the globe, people of all backgrounds, races, and identities are demanding action against institutional racism and discrimination, and Youth for Road Safety is joining this call. We recognize that, in order for young people to lead grassroots movements and advocate for meaningful participation, we must address and dismantle the historic systematic racism that inflicts suffering on black people, and other marginalized groups.

The suffering we speak of applies not only to violence experienced as a consequence of police brutality, but also to the deeply entrenched harms from health disparities, lack of job opportunities, unequal access to safe transportation options, underfunded public education, and the lack of a voice in shared decision-making.

We stand as a community that will not remain silent and will continue our own efforts to review and take action to ensure non-discriminatory practices. Our youth mobilization approaches and evidence-based actions reflect our commitment to equity of participation and protection.

At the core of our efforts to create an equitable mobility system for young people, we strive to remove socioeconomic, cultural, and discriminatory barriers that fuel inequities and compromise the opportunities people have to move freely, safely, and live the lives they value.

We hear you. We stand with you. #BlackLivesMatter.

Yesterday we were live on Facebook for #ClaimingOurSpace Live! We had lots of great interaction with youth from across the world. It was a great success!

We heard from Daniela Gomez from Despacio Colombia, Simon Patrick Obi from the Greenlight Initiative Nigeria, Omnia El Omrani from the International Federation of Medical Students Association (IFMSA) Egypt and Helena Sjoberg from the Swedish Traffic Administration Sweden. The session was moderated by Thiago Gruner from Vida Urgente Brazil.

We heard from 5 young leaders taking action for road safety in their communities in unprecedented times. If you missed the stream or got in late, don’t worry! You can watch the stream back and still interact with polls, questions and comments.