Solidarity, connectivity and making a positive change for road safety through social media were among the key themes addressed at the first Regional Road Safety Youth Assembly in Muscat, Oman in mid February. Entitled, ‘Connectivity and Moving Forward,’ the three-day assembly hosted by the Government of Oman, with technical support from the Global Road Safety…
Siaka K. Dibba is kicking off 2011 as the Global Road Safety Partnership’s “Road Safety Champion” of the month. Siaka recently won the “World’s Crossing Campaign” video competition (read ‘Crossing the World’s Roads’ for more information on the competition). The Global Road Safety Partnership caught up with Siaka to ask him about the recent events:…
When Ahmed crosses the street in Amman, he instinctively looks both ways before he takes his first step. But he may not be the only child taking safety precautions in Jordan this year. And that is exactly the goal of this popular board game created by Sesame Workshop and several partners such as Jordan Pioneers,…
The Gambia is a country situated in West Africa, well known for its music and the impact it has made on the world of football. But this year, The Gambia became known for another reason thanks to Siaka K. Dibba. Siaka recently won a competition hosted by Youth for Road Safety, a new non-governmental organization focused…
Novieyanti is a 20-year old volunteer for the Indonesian Red Cross. “I am different from other girls my age, I don’t window-shop, I choose to be an active HIV/AIDS campaigner,” she explains. Just as volunteers are critical to stemming the spread of HIV/AIDS and to addressing other health crises, the Global Road Safety Partnership recognizes that…
When the Road Safety in 10 Countries team went to Nairobi this past December, they discovered more than just a bustling metropolitan city. Working closely with the Kenya Red Cross, they carried out a workshop – focusing on helmet wearing and speeding – which revealed some new approaches as well as interesting challenges to road…
He is perhaps one of the most beloved characters on television around the world, and over the next ten years, he will help put road safety on the map – and in the minds of children everywhere. Grover is a Muppet character selected by Sesame Workshop to be the global Road Safety Ambassador for the…
For the Cambodian Red Cross Road Safety Project, “Give a little, get back a lot”, is more than just words. The Cambodia Red Cross turned this saying into a reality – one that resulted in more than 81,000 USD in contributions for road safety. It all began a year ago. That’s when the Cambodia Red…
For many people around the world, New Year’s Eve celebrations are filled with champagne and cocktails. But as 2010 came to a close, the Thai Red Cross planned ahead for the holiday season by focusing on road safety. New Year’s Eve marked the launch of “Give blood and don’t drive crazy on the road,” a…
The five-year, global road safety project RS10, which aims to reduce road-crash related death and injury in 10 low-and-middle income countries, was officially launched in China in late October with official events in two provinces. The RS10 project aims to target the key risk factors on the road to reduce death and serious injuries in…
Two and a half years ago, I was asked what it was that I felt was holding back the global road safety movement. “Fragmentation and lack of investment”, I said, “and it’s the fragmentation that causes the lack of investment, so all we really need to do is create alignment!” Two years on, and with…
In observance of World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims on November 21, the citizens of Lipetsk fixed 232 white balloons in the city square, also marking the beginning of a mass public campaign promoting the use of seatbelts. The campaign was a culmination of efforts undertaken by a consortium of international partners from…
In a quiet room in São José dos Campos’ central city hospital, a 28-year-old patient recuperates from a broken leg. A few days earlier, a drunken motorbike driver struck him as he was working with a roadway repair crew. “Safety measures are there, but they need to be increased,” the patient says, adding that he’d…
On a typical night, Van Chansophal, a 34-year-old who works in the private sector in Phnom Penh enjoys meeting his friends to drink beer after work. “Normally, I drink eight or more cans of beer at one time. I like going out to drink until I am deeply drunk. Then I stop drinking and come…
When the Decade of Action for Road Safety officially gets rolling in May 2011, Asia will be ready. That was the goal of the 8th annual GRSP Asia Road Safety Seminar in November, which focused on planning for the Decade of Action as an effective means of reducing road trauma in the region. A well-known…
