YOURS has released a fresh new and exciting poster series for people to use during the Decade of Action for Road Safety. The poster series is one of a series of tools that YOURS is releasing during the Decade of Action to equip young people with road safety awareness tools to save lives on the road.
Together we can save millions of young lives on the world’s roads
Ten days before the launch of the first-ever Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020, the global youth organization for road safety, YOURS – Youth for Road Safety, is releasing a free poster series for young people around the world to raise awareness about key risks on the roads.
Globally road traffic crashes are the biggest killer of young people aged 15-29 years. Every year more than 400,000 young people are killed and millions more are injured on the roads. In ten years, the World Health Organization predicts that this figure could rise significantly without increased action. The Decade of Action, officially proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 2010 and supported by more than 60 governments, provides a unique opportunity for long-term action that can save millions of lives.
The poster series called the ‘Surreal Posters’ take a unique approach. They depict drivers, cyclists and pedestrians in five situations that illustrate their vulnerability on the road when failing to take simple precautionary measures. They focus on the consequences of failing to use seat-belts and helmets, drinking and driving, speeding and not being visible when walking or cycling on the road. The posters will be distributed worldwide through YOURS’ massive global youth network for road safety and will be exhibited in places of prominence so young people can get the road safety message and be aware of what they need to do to be safe on the road wherever they are.
Floor Lieshout, Director of YOURS said: “These posters are just one tool that YOURS is employing to make young people aware of the dangers of the road. We as young people are the most vulnerable road users in the world. That´s why it is our responsibility as emerging young leaders to stand up and do our part in behaving responsibly and demanding our safety on the world’s roads”.
Dr Etienne Krug, Director of Violence and Injury Prevention and Disability at the World Health Organization said: “The Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020 offers the political platform needed to scale up some well-defined measures which could do much to keep young people safe on the roads. Evidence tells us that these measures work, and could save millions of lives.”
In conclusion, our efforts alone do not suffice. We call upon all stakeholders: our parents and guardians, leaders in the schools and communities where we learn and live, policy-makers in governments around the world, heads of private companies, representatives of the media and the entertainment sector and celebrities to take responsibility and work together with us in making the world’s roads safe for young people.
The five posters are available to download free here.