An international group of youth leaders is calling on authorities to show the same urgency when it comes to reducing the number of road deaths involving young people as they did to stop the spread of Covid-19.
In December, the Global Youth Coalition for Road Safety launched an awareness campaign called Lockdown for Youth.
While the campaign does not compare Covid-19 with road crashes, it says life after the pandemic is a ‘perfect opportunity to build back better’ and create a ‘safer and more sustainable mobility system’.
The campaign video shows young people calling for a mandatory lockdown because they don’t feel safe going out. While viewers immediately think they are referring to Covid-19, the youngsters raise awareness about another cause; road crashes.
Statistics show road crashes are the biggest killer of young people aged 15-29 years globally – with more than 1,000 deaths every day.
Raquel Barrios, Global Youth Coalition project manager, said: “At the Youth Coalition, we use creativity to share our concerns on pressing issues around road safety.
“With this campaign, we used the current situation to bring attention to this major threat to young lives; road traffic crashes.
“The Youth Coalition is here to support youth in amplifying their voices, providing them with all the resources needed to prevent more deaths on the roads. We are happy to welcome all youth who want to take real actions in road safety and other related fields.”
Comment on this story