Press
Release ECE/TRANS/00/1
Geneva, 16 February 2000
"VULNERABLE
ROAD USERS"
Countries prepare for the Third Road Safety Week
in the UN/ECE region, 1-7 May 2000
http://www.unece.org/trans/roadsafe
Cyprus,
Poland, Romania, the Russian Federation, Switzerland and the United Kingdom have
announced their detailed programmes for national campaigns during the Third Road Safety
Week in the region of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE)-- Membership
of the UN/ECE comprises all European countries, the United States of America, Canada,
Israel and the Republics of the Caucasus and Central Asia -- scheduled to be
held during the week from 1 to 7 May 2000.
The Third Road Safety Week provides UN/ECE
member Governments and interested organizations with an opportunity to launch simultaneous
road safety campaigns with a common target and under a common slogan. The common target
group for the Third Road Safety Week is VULNERABLE ROAD USERS. The common slogan is
PARTNERSHIP ON THE ROAD INCREASES SAFETY which is considered as the natural and
cost-effective way of improving road safety.
Campaigns and activities scheduled to be
launched in the context of the Third Road Safety Week include: publication and
distribution of folders, leaflets, posters placed in public places, video clips on the TV
news, production and distribution of attractive souvenir items; special outdoor events
linked with a road safety fair, tombola and demonstrations of road safety hazards and
technologies developed to save lives; meetings of road safety professionals and activists;
press conferences and debates on the radio and TV; competitions on good behaviour in
traffic and of drawings among school children; charity concerts and many other activities,
organized in cooperation with the lead organizations, government agencies, police force,
research institutes, schools, local communities and media.
Particularly interesting events, with a
potentially large impact on road safety of vulnerable road users, are, for example: a
two-day symposium on road traffic safety with the theme "Vision Zero - Traffic
without Danger" to be organized during the Week in Switzerland; a car crash demo -
also in Switzerland; a conference to be organized under Government auspices in the Russian
Federation on the prevention of injuries to children and pedestrians in road traffic; a
large country-wise road safety campaign in Romania, and also the Third RSW in the United
Kingdom co-sponsored by the Government and strongly supported by the police force, to be
extensively covered by the media, and highlighted by the launch of the Week in May
addressed by high rank government official.
Among non-governmental organizations
active in the field of road safety, the European Federation of Road Traffic Victims (FEVR)
communicated the Week’s activities by their member associations in Belgium, France,
Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland,
United Kingdom, and South Africa. In Italy, for example, a massive road safety campaign
will be organized in all 27 provinces, culminating in the national outdoor meeting in Rome
on 6 May 2000. In France, an outdoor event called "Day for Life 2000" will take
place during the Week in four cities, with the demonstration of first aid, alcohol
testing, helmet crash tests, etc. 500,000 leaflets will also be distributed across
France raising the awareness for drivers of the rights and needs of pedestrians. In Spain
50,000 folders will be distributed during the Week explaining the results of research on
pedestrians’ safety in Barcelona and press conferences will be organized before,
during and after the Week. FEVR itself intends to organize a concentration in front of the
European Parliament in Brussels to raise the awareness of the fate of the victims of road
accidents.
The International Motorcyclists Federation
(FIM) initiated last year a competition called "European Young Rider of the
Year", where young European riders under 26 years of age compete for the title,
which will also be held this year as the activity of the Week.
The European Cyclists Federation will
undertake action to further promote safe riding styles (active safety).
The International Road Safety (PRI -
Prévention Internationale Routière) will soon issue and distribute a CD-ROM devoted to
the safety of vulnerable road users.
The International Road Transport Union
(IRU) has undertaken activities aimed at promoting a better sharing of roads between
vulnerable road users (such as young moped riders) and heavy trucks, and included a
special Road Safety page in the IRU website.
The UN/ECE has launched a special website
on the Third Road Safety Week, which can be accessed at the address http://www.unece.org/trans/roadsafe. This
website gives a complete information on the Third RSW including detailed activities to be
undertaken by the various countries. It also provides links to a large number of
organizations which present their own news, details of activities, publications, and other
elements of road safety campaigns.
It is expected that after the success of
previous Road Safety Weeks in 1990 and 1995, the Third Road Safety Week will contribute to
a better understanding of the necessity for continued efforts to increase safety on our
roads in general, and to improve the safety of vulnerable road users in particular.
For further information, please
contact:
José Capel Ferrer, Director, or
Jerzy Witkowski, Economic Affairs Officer
Transport Division
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE)
Palais des Nations
CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Telephone:(+41 22) 917 2400 or 917 3259
Fax: (+41 22) 907 00 39
Email: [email protected]
[email protected]
In order to provide you with a better
service, we would appreciate it if you would send
a copy of your article to: Information Unit, United Nations Economic
Commission for Europe (UN/ECE), Palais des Nations, Room 356, CH - 1211 Geneva 10,
Switzerland,
Tel: (+41 22) 917 44 44, Fax: (+41 22) 917
05 05,
E-mail: [email protected],
Website: http://www.unece.org
Thank you. |