Global Road Safety Week
The first United Nations Global Road Safety Week (GRSW) was held the week of 23 - 29 April 2007 to draw attention to the global road safety crisis with a particular focus on young road users.
GRSP actively supported Global Road Safety Week on the global level and through many of its country programmes. David Silcock was a member of the Global Organising Committee. Following are a few of the activities GRSP organised or participated in around the world.
AFRICA
Ghana
GRSP Ghana played a key role in the organisation and implementation of GRSW activities in Ghana as part of the national GRSW steering committee. The committee also included the NRSC, the Police, Ministry of Transport, WHO's representative office in Ghana, Shell Ghana and Total Ghana.
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Day 1: GRSP Ghana Director, Cecil Garbah, gave a live broadcast on GRW activities in Ghana. A national launch of GRSW took place, at which GRSP Ghana Secretary Jack Lewis presented the recently published good practical manual Drinking and Driving: a road safety manual for decision-makers and practitioners to the head of the NRSC, Mr. Noble Appiah. GRSP Ghana partner, Shell Ghana, organised a meeting at their offices in Accra with the Ghana Centre for Cycling Excellence club focusing on safety for cyclists and provided participants with crash helmets. |
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Day 2: A road safety presentation was held in Tema market for the benefit of local public transport drivers in the local language. Shell Ghana provided the drivers with “T” shirts. Cecil Garbah, GRSP Director, gave the drivers advice on good practice while driving. Paul Kyeremateng a former heavy goods vehicle operator with over 12 years experience, gave a moving personal account of the life changing crash he was involved in, urging those present to drive safely. The event was also used to encourage drivers to use public transport when possible rather than their private vehicles.
Day 3. A road safety education programme for school children was held at Teshe Nungua, east of Accra, including a road safety quiz. Shell Ghana provided prizes for the teams and each pupil received booklets on road safety.
Day 4. Shell Ghana hosted a one-day policy maker workshop with the theme: Engagement with Road Safety Policy Makers. Participants included representatives from the Building Road Research Institute, Cycling Centre for Excellence, DVLA (Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency), Ghana Highways, Ghana Insurance Association, GRSP, Ghana Road Transport, Ministry of Transport, Police, NRSC, Road Safety Limited and Standard Insurance Company met to discuss issues that would contribute to improved road safety.
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Day 5. GRSP partner, Total Ghana, launched a thirteen week seat belt and helmet campaign at a selected Total fueling station. The campaign slogan is “Your loved ones need you alive. Think safety. Wear your seat belt. Use your helmet”. As a part of the campaign, selected drivers and riders spotted wearing their seat belts or crash helmets will receive a free tank of fuel every Friday from Total stations. Press attended the campaign launch event, where safety literature was distributed to drivers arriving to refuel at the Total station. Drivers and riders who were not buckled up or wearing a helmet were encouraged by attendants and others assisting in the launch to adopt good practice. The Ghana Muslim congregations commemorated GRSW with messages from their spiritual leaders on road safety during Friday prayers. |
Day 6. This day was set aside to visit hospitals around the country treating victims of road crashes. GRSP Ghana visited the Ridge Hospital, where Shell Ghana donated ten wheel chairs for crash victims. Dr George Acquaye received the gift at the Accident and Emergency unit of the hospital.
Day 7. The Council of churches in Ghana included a road safety message as part of Sunday worship services. At the Tema West Methodist circuit speakers from the NRSC, GRSP and the Cycling Centre for Excellence gave a road safety message.
Namibia
GRSP Namibia presented the international good practice manual Drinking and Driving: a road safety manual for decision-makers and practitioners to national road safety stakeholders, including the NRSC.
The Secretary General of the Council of Churches delivered a road safety message.
South Africa
GRSW in South Africa was launched during an event hosted by the Road Traffic Management Corporation at the Freedom Square in Kliptown, Johannesburg. The event started with a procession (march) by members of the SA Police Services, the Johannesburg Metro Emergency Services and school children representing the youth of South Africa.
The procession was followed by a programme facilitated by young people representing the youth of South Africa. The programme included presentations by Dr. John Sampson, Chairperson of the Road Traffic Management Corporation Board, Dr. Pieter Venter, GRSP Country Adviser, Ms Rehana Moosajoo the mayoral committee member for transport. The programme also included a choir performance and industrial theatre conveying a road safety message.
Mr. Thabo Tsholetsane, CEO of the Road Traffic Management Corporation, was handed a road safety pledge by the youth representatives, followed by the signing of pledges by other representatives present.
ASIA
China
GRSW was launched in China on 23 April. WHO and China CDC on behalf of the Mininistry of Health organised an event, which brought all Ministries involved in road safety together for the first time in public in China. Deputy and Vice-ministers from seven ministries each spoke to support efforts to address road safety issues in China. GRSP CEO David Silcock spoke on behalf of non-governmental organisations and announced the publication of the Drinking and Driving good practice manual, and its translation into Chinese. There was substantial media interest in the event.
Indonesia(as part of the ASEAN region)
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GRSW activities took place in numerous provinces of Indonesia such as Jakarta, Central Java, West Sumatera, Surakarta, Yogyakarta, Nangroe Acah Darussalam, North Sumatera, East Kalimantan, South Sulawesi, and NTB. GRSW was launched by the Indonesian President on 23 April in Jakarta in a moving speech. The President recognised the need to undertake more to improve road safety in Indonesia and stated numerous demands to ensure the success of efforts to make Indonesia's roads safer for all road users, including:
GRSP Indonesia was active in the launch ceremony. |
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Laos (as part of the ASEAN region)
The First UN Global RS Week in the Lao PDR was opened at the Victory Monument Square by H.E. Mr. Axang Laoly, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the National RS Committee on 23 April. The ceremony was attended by high-ranking members of the key ministries, donor agencies, diplomatic missions and the NGO community as well as 150 students representing the country's young road users. Mr. Axang Laoly and Dr. Dong Il Ahn, WHO Representative jointly were cutting the ribbon to mark the actual opening of the RS Week.
Handicap International Belgium (HIB) staged a theatre road safety show around the country during every evening of the week. Volunteers provided information on important road safety, such as helmets, and handed out leaflets and stickers.
60 Street banners were installed with different messages on road safety, 40 in Vientiane and 20 in Savannakhet, the second biggest city plus further 10 banners reminding the public of the RS Week.
The traffic police increased enforcement of laws on helmet wearing.
On Sunday, 29 April the end of GRSW was celebrated with a Mini Marathon, organised by the Ministry of Communication, Transport, Post & Construction and the Lao Youth Union.
Thailand
Road safety activities organized during the Songkran festival or Thai New year on 11-17 April 2007, flowed into events for GRSW, including a campaign organized by Thainland's Road Safety Committee. In addition, the Minister of Public Health gave his support to the drinking and driving campaign organized by TGRSP member, the Don't Drive Drunk Foundation, at a project event in Bangkok on 11 April
UNESCAP organised a Road Safety Exhibition in Bangkok during GRSW.
Central and Eastern Europe
Hungary
In support of the goals of GRSW, the GRSP Hungary Association designed a road safety information leaflet that was disseminated during the ?6th European Road Conference in Budapest. The Association also developed a banner to call the attention of young drivers and travellers to importance of being safe and responsible road users.
GRSP Hungary founding member, HAFRAC, organised a series of informative spots on the radio (Juventus and Danibius) targeting young drivers and warning them in a humorous way about the risks of drinking and driving. Hungarian personalities, who are well known to the country?s youth, participated in the radio spots, which ran during GRSW and are part of a larger designated driver initiative called "Buli sof?r". The programme aims to encourage young people, who plan to drink at a party, to make sure that someone in the group is the designated driver and can drive the others home safely.
Poland
The Road Safety Partnership was part of the national organising committee on GRSW and organised numerous events that took place during the week.
On 23 April, together with the Ministry of Transport and the World Bank in Poland, the Partnership organised a press conference on GRSW and young road users in Poland. Speakers included Mr. Jerzy Polaczek, the Minister of Transport, Mr. Bogumil Kowalski, the Secretary of State at the Ministry of Transport, Mr. Andrzej Grzegorczyk, the head of the National Road Safety Council, Mr. Grzegorz Benedykcinski, the Mayor of City of Grodzisk Mazowiecki, Ms. Jolanta Biela, Safe City Association and Ms. Ewa Labno Falecka, the President of the Road Safety Partnership. There was extensive media interest in this event.
On 26 April, the Partnership organised the Road Safety Forum together with the UN Family, The Ministry of Transport, The National Road Safety Council, and the World Bank, to discuss critical issues relating to young road users in Poland. For the occasion, the Partnership facilitated the participation of an OECD representative to provide an international perspective on the issue and information from the OECD's recent report on young drivers. The OECD had the executive summary of the report translated into Polish for this event. Due to the interest generated by the Forum, the Partnership intends to organise a similar event on an annual basis.
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The Partnership and NRSC produced a film on safety at pedestrian crossings that is being shown in Polish movie theatres from 28 April through the end of May. The film clip can be viewed and downloaded from the GRSW section and Poland section of the GRSP website. As a closing celebration of GRSW, the Partnership organised a community event in Grodzisk Mazowiecki, a city in Poland that has an active and successful road safety programme. Activities focused on families and youth and included a 12 km bicycle tour, games, a concert and competitions for children. More than 600 people attended the event. |
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Romania
GRSP Romania gave impetus to the organisation of a high level inter-ministerial meeting on road safety that took place on 23 April on the occasion of GRSW. The Ministers of Transport, Interior, Education and Health were personally present and other ministries were represented. Decisions taken at the meeting include the development and launch of two road safety improvement programmes within the framework of the National Strategy for Road Safety. The programmes, Stop to accidents! Life has priority! and Building Safe Roads for Life, were officially opened in a high-profile event on Friday, 27 April, on the occasion of the European Day for Road Safety.
Sakhalin
Numerous local events were held throughout Sakhalin Island in celebration of GRSW. Activities aimed to raise awareness about road safety, the impact of road traffic injuries on individuals, families and society at large and encourage road safety stakeholders to implement improvement measures focusing on the main risk factors of road traffic injury – inappropriate speed, drinking and driving, occupant restraints, and helmets.
Activities included
- A round table discussion on educating young road users about safe behavior in road traffic. Participants in the discussion included representative of the local government, health and education services, political parties, the Sakhalin Road Safety Partnership (SRSP), youth organisations, the church, law enforcement agencies and the mass media.
- Teachers and road traffic inspectors jointly conducted demonstration road safety lessons at local schools.
- DVDs with road safety cartoons were distributed to school children.
- Painting contests and art exhibitions were organised displaying works done by schoolchildren under the slogan ‘Road Safety is No Accident'
- Road safety videos were shown on the local TV channel GTRK.
- Representatives of the SRSP distributed reflective arm bands to local school children.
The GIBDD (road traffic police) conducted targeted information campaigns on the following issues: “Young drivers on the road”, “Seat belts”, “Young passengers”, “Polite driver”, “Attention, street”.
As a part of these campaigns, traffic police officers distributed information materials produced by the SRSP to local community members, including 8000 booklets and 4000 stickers with the slogan ‘Choose life-buckle up!'
South & Central America
Brazil
GRSP Brazil supported GRSW by implementing numerous events in many of its network towns. Examples include:
TOWN: GRAVATAÍ
Diverse activities took place throughout the week such as: Educational Blitz, Pedestrian Friends, Youth Now, community awareness initiatives, Cycling Gravataí Tour, educational speeches, a drive to have motorcyclists register their vehicles.
Partners supporting GRSW activities in the town included: SECOPLAN, SAMU, Resgates Voluntários, SMS, SMTT, Brigada Militar, Escola Estadual Carlos Bina, Policia Rodoviária Estadual, Escola Municipal Santa Rita de Cássia, Secretaria Municipal de Trânsito e Transportes, Secretaria Municipal de Saúde, Vigilância Sanitária, DENARC, Conselho Tutelar, Escola Municipal Breno Jardim Garcia.
TOWN: INDAIATUBA
Activities implemented during the week include: Our Traffic, Traffic Mini Circuit, speeches, personal accounts Lost Son, Defensive Driving, Road Safety.
Partners supporting the activities in Indaiatuba include: DEMUTRAN Departamento Municipal de Trânsito, Secretaria Municipal de Educação, Secretaria Municipal de Saúde, CIAEI, Fundação Mapfre, Cesvi-Brasil, Unianhanguera, Fatec, Haoc, Rizzo.
TOWN: MOGI DAS CRUZES
Activities took place from 23 April through 29 April including: Happy and Safe Traffic, Safe Cyclist campaign, defensive driving courses, seat belt campaign, campaign on pedestrian crossings, a campaign to influence drivers not to use their mobile phones while driving.
Partners supporting the activities in Mogi das Cruzes include: Secretaria Municipal de Transportes, Secretaria Municipal de Educação, Secretaria Municipal de Saúde, Colégio Rondon, Akira Motos, Júlio Simões.
TOWN: RESENDE
Activities took place throughout the week including: an event on the GRSP Proactive Partnership Strategy, presentation on self motivation factors in safe driving, a campaign targeting driver behavior and responsibility, a fleet safety audit, Educational Blitz, speeches on traffic laws, a speech on defensive driving, a cycling tour.
Partners supporting the activities in Resende include: Diretoria de Transporte e Mobilidade, Guarda Municipal, Escola Municipal Julieta Botelho.
TOWN: SUMARÉ
Diverse activities toook place throughout the week such as: a speech entitled The Traffic and Yourself; a road safety workshop: a drive to have motorcyclists transporting cargo with their vehicles ("Motoboys") to register the vehicles
Partners supporting the activities in Sumaré include: Vigilantes Mirins de Educação para a Mobilidade Cidadã.
TOWN: SÃO JOSÉ DO RIO PRETO The primary event undertaken by partners was a road safety information show. Partners included: CRST, J.D. Cocenzo, Prefeitura, DER, Polícia Militar, SETCARP, HB, KM, Secretaria Estadual de Educação, SEST SENAT, APATRU.
TOWN: ARARAQUARA GRSW activities were implemented throughout the week included: Learning through Playing, Traffic Town, a road safety workshop, an information campaign ?More than freedom motorcycling means respect?.
Partners supporting the activities in Araraquara include: CER José do Amaral Velosa, CER Adelina Leite doo Amaral, CER Cotinha de Barros, CER Rosa Ribeiro Stringhethi, APAE, ETI Narciso da Silva César, Policia Militar, CER José Pizzani, CER Maria Barcarola Filié, CER Marialice Lia Tedde, CER Amélia Fávero Manini, CER Anunciata Lia David, Banda Marcial Olavo Felipe, Grupo Teatral CETA, Guarda Municipal, Mamíferos Moto Clube, Melhor que nada Moto Clube.
The World Health Organization maintains a website on Global Road Safety Week, which includes information on many of the activities which took place around the world http://www.who.int/roadsafety/week/en/index.html