Yesterday (September 20) the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety, Mr Jean Todt, in collaboration with JCDecaux launched a new global Road Safety campaign. The ‘Make a Safety Statement’ campaign will address the issue of safety on roads, which is the leading cause of death for people aged 5 to 29 around the world.
Road traffic crashes kill 1.35 million people every year and injures over 50 million, often for life. Developing countries account for 93% of these victims and the most vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists) and the poor are disproportionately affected worldwide.
Over the next two years, the ‘Make a Safety Statement’ campaign will appear on billboards and in public spaces in 80 countries worldwide, thanks to a global partnership with JCDecaux. Displayed across 1,000 cities, the campaign will be translated into 30 languages.
‘Make a Safety Statement’ at European Mobility Week
The ‘Make a Safety Statement’ campaign launched in Brussels today during European Mobility Week (16th – 22nd September), with support from Adina Vălean, European Commissioner for Transport. The campaign is currently on display in the streets of Brussels, Brussels Airport, and in the streets of Liège, Antwerpen and Lier.
The Special Envoy declared: “Road safety is not high enough on the political agenda in most countries. While we know the remedies to road crashes, action is lagging behind. With this campaign, together with the celebrities that are joining us, and our partners JCDecaux and Saatchi & Saatchi, we are trying to revert this and mobilize the political will that is needed to increase actions and financing to save millions of lives, in line with the objectives of the Decade of Action for Road Safety.”
Speaking during the launch press conference, Adina Vălean said: “During this year’s European Mobility Week, around 3,000 cities from 50 countries will be encouraging their citizens to try out more sustainable ways of moving around. Walking and cycling are two such options. But sustainability must go hand-in-hand with safety, and sadly vulnerable road users are still over-represented in road fatality statistics: in the EU, pedestrians account for around 18% of fatalities, and cyclists for 9%. I welcome this global campaign to turn this around – to help us learn from each other, raise awareness of how to keep all road-users safe, and – ultimately – to save lives.”
Jean-Charles Decaux, co-CEO of JCDecaux said: “We are very proud to partner with the United Nations and Jean Todt, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety, to launch this international road safety campaign that’s relevant to everyone. No matter how we travel, this important cause affects us all, from pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and drivers to people using new forms of mobility or making shared trips. We can all play a part in reducing the terrible consequences faced by so many families around the world. This campaign underlines how our sustainable media can use its power and mass reach to raise awareness of the safety rules that must be respected at all times and the care that must be taken, in order to ensure a safe and pleasant public space for us all.”
Michelle Yeoh, Oscar-Winning Actress & UNDP Goodwill Ambassador said: “Every 24 seconds, a person loses their life in road injuries somewhere in the world. I am always filled with a sense of purpose when I work on road safety. Together, we must prioritise saving lives and creating a safer world.”
#MakeaSafetyStatement
The ‘Make a Safety Statement’ campaign leverages the UN’s collection of A-list celebrities to change road user behaviour, by encouraging people to adopt simple and efficient rules to stay safe on the road.
The first participating celebrities include:
- Naomi Campbell, supermodel
- Ousmane Dembélé, football icon
- Novak Djokovic, tennis legend
- Michael Fassbender, actor
- Julie Gayet, actress
- Charles Leclerc, F1 driver
- Marc Márquez, motorcycle racer
- Kylie Minogue, musician
- Youssou N’Dour, musician
- Mick Schumacher, F1 driver
- Michelle Yeoh, Oscar-winning actress & UNDP Goodwill ambassador
Together, they are encouraging road users around the world to:
- wear a seat belt
- drive slow
- wear a helmet
- not text and drive
- not drive under the influence
- not drive tired
Collectively they will call on their fans and followers to adopt the same habits, with a shared goal to halve the number of victims on the roads by 2030.
The Decade of Action objective
In September 2020, the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution A/RES/74/299 “Improving global road safety”, proclaiming the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030, with the ambitious target of preventing at least 50% of road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030.
Alcohol Awareness 