Preparing for the Week
We are all pedestrians, and as pedestrians, we are well placed to make a meaningful contribution to preparations for the Second UN Global Road Safety Week. Those who have a convening role to play in their country or community include senior government officials from ministries of health, transport and education as well as the nation’s focal point for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020; representatives of nongovernmental organizations, including pedestrian associations; road safety professionals; health care providers; educators; students; insurers; road builders; vehicle manufacturers; the media; and victims of road traffic crashes and their families.
What you can do
Establish a planning committee representing all relevant sectors of your country or community. The committee should provide overall strategic guidance and direction for the Week, and determine objectives and the activities and materials needed to achieve these. The objectives could support action towards achieving both the short-term and long-term goals of the Week to ensure a fatality free Week and foster safe walking in the years ahead.
Plan events to be hosted during the Week in your country or community. Events can contribute to general awareness-raising about pedestrian safety, the impact that the lack of safety has on pedestrian victims and their families, and the measures which are urgently needed. Such events can attract media attention to expand the reach to policy-makers and the public at large. Make your plans early and register your events through the Week’s global web site the events and activities you will host.
Contribute to the “Long Short Walk” by taking a photo or video of your walk to school or work, your favourite walk or just a stroll to the corner shop. Promoted by the international road safety community as a key activity for the Week, the Long Short Walk, an initiative of the Zenani Mandela Campaign, seeks to prioritize safe walking for all. The initiative aims to achieve a new global Sustainable Development Goal on safe walking.
Develop materials for the Week to support the events you are planning. These may include a pamphlet, fact sheet, poster, press release or other advocacy product based on the latest data and information about pedestrians and their safety. Stories of road traffic victims as told by their families also make for powerful narratives to engage the attention of the media and support the events being planned.
Brand your events and materials with the symbol of the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020. The Week is a key milestone in the ten-year Decade, and all governments and nongovernmental organizations are encouraged to use the Decade symbol to unite the many events and materials that will be prepared for the Week. To access the Decade symbol in various languages and file formats, register your agreement to the terms of use here: