Brian’s Column: Local Rwandese women motor passengers wear safety helmets!

Brian’s Column: Local Rwandese women motor passengers wear safety helmets!

by | Dec 30, 2023 | News & Blog

Our regular columnist Brian Bilal Mwebaze is back in the new year with his regular column. Brian gives a low down on road safety issues facing young people in Africa. From observational commentary, good practise and frustrations. Brian offers a no-holds-barred insight into the world of road safety in Africa.

Hey y’all…we warned you to hold your horses and holding them you did! It’s THAT month where you just resurrected into reality:  Christmas, Boxing Day, New Year’s Day and all the holiday fantasies all over! We’re back into education, taxes and work zones. Speaking of work…

From 15th-20th January 2018, I found myself in Rwanda while on a Regional Disaster Preparedness learning and exchange visit between Uganda Red Cross, Tanzania Red Cross, Burundi Red Cross and Rwanda Red Cross. But this is not really important.

You see, I have visited Rwanda 4 times. 100% of all the visits only ended in Kigali (The capital city). As you drive from the airport to Kigali town, a person infected with a road safety virus can’t miss but to wonder how it’s possible that ALL motorists including their passengers wear helmets. You read THAT well. All of them! This, I intended to find out whether it’s a different story in towns and villages in the outskirts of Kigali!

I had a chance to visit and interact with Rwanda Police in districts of Karongi, and Rubavu to understand how they ensure compliance of helmet utilization and standards. (I have witnessed some village folks in other countries put on helmets carefully curved from water melons…I kid you not).

I was schooled on the governmental structures of Rwanda and their respective duties at local level. While this wasn’t new as I also have seen local officials in other countries chilled delivering on their job descriptions, the police folk subtly said “We’re Rwandans. The Culture here is reinforced by our (leadership) commitment”. Put it quite simply in English that their leaders aim to live by example and everybody is expected to abide by the rules-no exception. I didn’t believe this that much either, because I have heard enough great speeches but less actions.

While in Karongi district, we had a zebra painting session at Lalumiere primary school located in rural Rwanda. The Police Traffic Personnel themselves came in a car and motorcycle. With my eyes, I noticed the police all pull up putting their helmets on. I really wanted to see rural folks including females with theirs.

Much to my expectation, 11 motorists bypassed us, and not only were they (including passengers) putting on helmets but so were the females! What a sight! Finding women putting on helmets in rural Africa (I can say this because I know for sure) is as hard as determining the sex of a young guinea fowl!

You will hear millions of polio-infested excuses from young women for not putting on helmets: From losing their hair, messing up their hair, discomfort etc, but Rwandese girls put them on thanks to government’s commitment to ensure safety of their citizens. Did I say these girls still looked cute with them helmets? Let me end this here. Stay safe

 

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Fixers are looking for passionate young people for road safety projects in the UK

Fixers are looking for passionate young people for road safety projects in the UK

by | Dec 29, 2023 | News & Blog

With statistics showing that road crashes are the number one killer of young people in the UK, Fixers are taking action on road safety. Fixers are young people using their past to fix the future. They are motivated by personal experience to make positive change for themselves and those around them.

In 2018, Fixers are looking for young people age 16-25 to run a road safety project in the UK. 

Fixers have different backgrounds, interests and life experiences, and come from every corner of the UK. But they do have several important things in common. They are motivated by a desire to act on an issue that is important to them or a strong desire to help other people.

They also have a voice that they want to be heard, whether that’s on eating disorders, drugs, offending, cyberbullying or any other issue that is concerning them. Becoming a Fixer allows that to happen. Fixers are heard, understood and respected by others.

Fixers choose the issue they want to fix and, using the skills of a team of creative experts, they work out how to make sure their message is heard by the right people, whether that’s through a unique film, a leaflet or poster campaign, a website, an event or workshop. Then they use digital, print and broadcast media to make their voice heard as far and wide as possible Fixers win awards, meet their MPs and some have even gone on to set up their own charities.

A few years ago, we were involved with Fixers’ Road Savvy Campaign. To have their voices heard, 20 Fixers and over 50 guests attended the ‘Fixers Road Savvy Forum’ at the Abbey Centre in Westminster.

The event brought together young people, politicians and road safety experts to discuss the biggest road safety issues facing the country today. Fixers from across the nation participated in a morning workshop session, brainstorming ways to improve road safety. The findings will be presented to the government in the form of a ‘Fixers Green Paper’, following the Department of Transport’s decision to consult on road safety proposals.

In the afternoon, a panel of five Fixers – Jordan Bone, Manpreet Darroch (YOURS), Jen Byrne, Cathal O’Kane and Abi Phillips – used these ideas to answer questions from an audience of politicians and road safety advocates. The discussion was hosted by ITV presenter Nina Hossain.

Calling passionate UK based youth who care about road safety

Fixers is looking for young people, aged between 16 and 25 and living in the UK, interested in creating a project about road safety. Check out similar projects and if you are interested please contact communications@fixers.org.uk
SDGs in Action – the app highlighting the Sustainable Development Goals

SDGs in Action – the app highlighting the Sustainable Development Goals

by | Dec 29, 2023 | News & Blog

The SDGs in Action app has been developed to highlight the Sustainable Development Goals – the world’s to-do list to end poverty, reduce inequalities and tackle climate change. It is brought to you by the GSMA, which represents the interests of nearly 800 mobile operators worldwide, and Project Everyone, a non-profit global campaign to spread the messaging of the SDGs.

App Features

Learn about the 17 SDGs, get news on your favourite goals, find out what you can do to achieve them, create your own events and invite others to join you in sustainable actions and events.

The SDGs in Action app features:

  • Detailed information about each of the 17 goals, including targets, explanatory videos, key facts and figures, and suggestions on how you can help achieve them take action.
  • The latest sustainable development news from around the world. See how innovation is helping to achieve the goals, interact with global citizens around the world and see the latest news.
  • The ability to choose what goals are important to you and receive notifications about that goal.
  • Access to the World’s Largest Lesson explaining each of the Sustainable Development Goals.
  • Find actions and events near you that you can join to support the goals.
  • The ability to create Actions you’re planning in your area, and invite others to join.

 

How it works:

Browse actions:

See what other people around you are doing to achieve the Global Goals and be inspired to take action on your own.

Join an action:

See an action you like? You can take part in other people’s actions and invite your friends to join you.

Create an Action:

Make your voice heard by creating actions to achieve the Global Goals, and by inviting others to participate.

Making the app relevant for road safety:
We encourage youth to create actions to help achieve the specific road safety target in the Health Goal. Get inspired to make the SDGs a reality and work towards sharing this work across the world.

MORE INFO ON THE SDG APP

About the Sustainable Development Goals

The UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, featuring the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, was unanimously adopted by world leaders at a historic UN summit in September 2015. By aligning national priorities with the 2030 Agenda and working together with the private sector and civil society, governments have started mobilizing efforts to end poverty, address inequalities and tackle climate change by 2030.

“How I learnt road safety from my son” – a perspective from India

“How I learnt road safety from my son” – a perspective from India

by | Dec 29, 2023 | News & Blog

Children may teach us a thing or two about traffic rules, especially if they are learning them the right way: the digital way

My 11-year-old son has done Marc Prensky proud. He has picked up most of his traffic rules playing Driving School 2016 on his iPad and waves this knowledge at me when I am at the wheel. Author of Digital Game-Based Learning and Teaching Digital Natives, Prensky believes that to be able to teach digital natives anything effectively, the lessons have to be framed in their language.

With my experience back home validating this approach, I feel compelled to raise the banner for digitalisation of road safety education.

Ahead of Road Safety Week 2018 (January 11-17) in India, I have a question. Are Indian schools sensitive to the need for a road safety curriculum, let alone one based on digital tech?

Voluntary organisations promoting road safety awareness don’t think so. On the positive side, most schools are committed to promoting life-skills education, which provides these groups a window of opportunity. Even if they manage to get a foothold in schools, I wonder if their teaching methods will be effective though. Most organisations still rely on charts and signboards to convey their message. By themselves, they don’t make for an engaged classroom. And it is only in moments of intense engagement that we learn best.

My son learnt all the rules well, as he was engaged in what was unfolding in front of him, every bit and byte of it. In a game of this nature, the process of reward and punishment is quick as well as continuous.

When the speed limit is exceeded, a lane rule violated or a road sign ignored, minus points go up, across the screen. For driving behaviour that complies with road rules, plus points go up.

The game offers the additional excitement of ‘driving’ a Bugatti Chiron, a Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 or a Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupé. There is also the option of driving with manual transmission, which increases the player’s level of engagement.

However, my son has to interpret the lessons learnt from Driving School to be able to apply it in an Indian context, as it is designed for roads with a left-hand-drive system and the terms drawing attention to traffic rules are also different.

Traffic safety games meant for Indian roads will serve the purpose better. I have come across Driving Academy India 3D, with cars that you find on our roads. There are also Indian-looking instructors in the game. There is a case for more such games factoring in Indian road conditions and driving behaviour.

Now, these games are made for certain platforms. For example, Driving Academy India 3D is available on the android platform and Driving School on iOS and Android.If getting the necessary devices for children to play these games is a problem, there is the option of running gameplays of these games, available on YouTube, for a classroom. There are free, short, animated road safety films that could be used in a road safety class.

A few years ago, the Automobile Association of South India released one — ‘Ready Steady Slow’ — which deals with the topic of speeding, with just the right dose of humour to keep a classroom of little children in splits. And Honda 2 Wheelers India released an animated short — ‘Road Safety Lessons for Children’ — that explains various traffic signs and the must-dos on the road.

There could be more such initiatives from other quarters. And these resources should be used more often by parents and teachers for the education of their children. In fact, even for themselves.

 
Adapted from The Hindu – Original Article –  Written by Prince Frederick

LEARN MORE ABOUT LEARNING THROUGH ENGAGEMENT

Delft Road Safety Course open for applications for 2018

Delft Road Safety Course open for applications for 2018

by | Dec 29, 2023 | News & Blog

A new two-week course on road safety in low and middle income countries is open for appliaction.  As in 2017 the course is offered by Delft Road Safety Courses (DRSC) in association with FIA Foundation.  Both organizations build on several successful years of running this and similar training programmes.

The course will be held at 17-28 September 2018, at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. Today the course has been opened for registration.

Introduction to the DRSC
In many low and middle income countries (LMIC’s), the number of road traffic fatalities and serious injuries are high with mortality rates up to ten times higher than the best performing countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that every year 1.25 million people are killed in road crashes and it is estimated that annually as many as 50 million people are injured in road crashes . According to the WHO, almost 90% of traffic casualties occur in low and middle income countries. Not only is this a tragedy for all concerned, also from an economic point of view this leads to a tremendous loss of (human) capital.

This development is not imperative, however. It is demonstrated that even in countries with a strong economic growth and a rapid increase of motorization, a reduction of fatalities and injuries can be reached through implementing effective road safety strategies. The Netherlands is one of these examples.

Since the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety and the recent acceptance of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, in which road safety is included, the political priorities have been clearly set. Now it will come down to design the cost-effective national strategies and implement action plans. The Road Safety Course in Delft aims to present to you the vast knowledge and expertise underpinning strategies and action plans.  Our course leader professor Marjan Hagenzieker and the lecturers are recruited from the world’s leading experts on road safety. They will provide you with the latest state of art.

The Submission Deadline to apply for a scholarship is Thu March 1, 2018.

To find out more, or to pre-register for the course for 2018, click on the link below.

ROAD SAFETY COURSE IN DELFT 2018

Word of the year: Can we create a “youthquake” for road safety in 2018?

Word of the year: Can we create a “youthquake” for road safety in 2018?

by | Dec 29, 2023 | News & Blog

Every year, many analysts and observers of society turn to language to help us mark where we have been, how far we have come, and where we are heading. One word has been judged as not only reflective of the ethos, mood, or preoccupations of this past year, but as having lasting potential as a word of cultural significance. The Oxford Dictionaries Word of the Year 2017 is… youthquake.

youthquake. noun

A significant cultural, political, or social change arising from the actions or influence of young people.

‘a youthquake has altered the Westminster landscape’
‘couture is undergoing something of a youthquake’
Oxford English dictionary announce new words that are added to its repetiore each year. Previous words of the year reflect technological and cultural change such a ‘vape’ in 2014 and ‘selfie’ in 2013. For 2017, youthquake is an excellent word to illustrate the importance young people have on influence social change, political action and cultural norms.
 
Its origins come from 1965: from youth + quake, on the pattern of earthquake. The first recorded use is from the January 1965 edition of the magazine Vogue, describing the upsurge of youth culture in London that occurred in the 1960s, especially as reflected in the changing fashion of the period. The word was apparently coined by Diana Vreeland, then editor-in-chief of Vogue.
Interestingly enough, this word encapsulates the mission of YOURS – youth for road safety. SInce 2009, we have been creating  youthquakes in road safety. The word itself show shows the power of young people to dramatically alter the political and cultural landscape of the society, both locally, nationally and globally.

In South Africa, young people are trained as Youth Ambassadors for Road Safety to create a youthquake in South African Road Safety.

When young people are empowered with the skills, knowledge and resources to make powerful decisions about their wellbeing, thousands of youthquakes can shake the world as we know it. From Belizean youth taking road safety to the national media to Kenyan youth running campaigns in rural areas, we have seen hundreds of youth movements shake communities. Whether these movemen are yet to become fully fledged youthquakes, or perhaps they are ‘youthtremors’, there is no question of the power youth have in shaping society.

Other words that made the 2017 shortlist:

  • Milkshake duck: Not a duck that likes milkshake, but it refers to a person or thing which trends on social media but then becomes negative.
  • Unicorn: We all know this one, it doesn’t refer to the fictional animal though, the word has been recognised for items or food and drink which are rainbow coloured.
  • Gorpcore: This is a style of dress which is inspired by outdoor clothing.
  • Kompromat: This is the name given to information collected by spies for use in blackmailing people they want to control.
  • Newsjacking: This is when products or brands take advantage of a news story to promote their items.

 

Let’s make 2018 a year of road safety youthquakes!