May 17 marks the start of Global Road Safety Week. This year’s biennial week of action kicks off the second U.N. Decade of Action on Road Safety — a 10-year window with an ambitious target to reduce road crash deaths by 50 percent.
Advocates around the globe are looking to this moment to elevate awareness about road safety as a public health issue — and advance policy changes that save lives.
Road crashes are the leading cause of death for people ages 5 – 29 worldwide. When effectively enforced and publicized, policy interventions like 30 km/hour speed limits where people live, work and play; mandated child restraints, helmets and seatbelts; and ensuring penalties for drink driving can save lives and avoid tragedy. The Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI) is recognizing Global Road Safety Week with several events to support civil society organizations in their advocacy efforts across Latin America, Asia and Africa. Here’s how.
1. GHAI is hosting its annual Global Road Safety Twitter Chat May 18 — join us!
On May 18 at 9:00 a.m. EST, GHAI will host a conversation on Twitter exploring how advocacy efforts are advancing road safety policy change. Advocates will share their insights into why road safety is a public health priority, how advocacy campaigns are changing the narrative and highlight the policies that are most critical across the globe. Here are the questions so you can help get the word out — and prepare answers in advance. Join on Twitter using #GHAIchat.
2. A new toolkit highlights all the ways to engage
Take a look at the GHAI Road Safety Week Toolkit for key messages, graphics, social media posts, press release templates and more. This year’s Global Road Safety Week focuses on the importance of speed limits, and we have other messages around other policies and risk factors like seat belt wearing and helmets. (La version en español esta aquí)
3. A recent event highlighted how advocates are leveraging #UNGRSW
During a recent Global Webinar Series on Communications — a monthly digital event series hosted by GHAI for road safety advocates across 10 countries — advocates in Mexico and Bangladesh gave their best practices and expert insights for taking global days of action and tying them to local policy change. In Bangladesh, a signature campaign mobilized transport workers, who made pledges to keep vehicle speeds below 30 kilometers per hour and rallied 200 motorcyclists who carried colorful flags and signage that boldly displayed Road Safety Week messaging and commitments. In Mexico, advocates drew on past global days of action to highlight the breadth of ways to spur policy progress. During World Day of Remembrance last November, Mexico’s advocates illuminated parliamentary buildings in yellow across the country and convened policymakers in support of their cause. They have also used COVID precautions to amplify their cause, by creating, wearing and distributing masks with road safety messaging.
Join public health advocates around the world during Global Road Safety Week by following #UNGRSW, #StreetsforLife and #Love30 on Twitter — and follow along with us @incubatorGHAI.
