With the theme 'In traffic, meaning is life', initiative brings together government and society to promote actions that value life and safety in traffic
The Minister of Infrastructure, Tarcísio Gomes de Freitas, launched this Thursday (12), in Brasilia (DF), the National Traffic Campaign. The initiative, coordinated by the National Land Transportation Secretariat (SNTT) and the National Traffic Department (Denatran), aims to raise awareness among drivers, cyclists and pedestrians about actions that transform traffic into a safe environment. The launching ceremony was attended by the minister of the General Secretariat of the Presidency, Jorge Oliveira, as well as representatives of organs of the National Traffic System, associations and private and parliamentary entities.
“The Federal Government has put the traffic issue on the agenda of society and has given us the opportunity to discuss traffic safety and education. The debate was provoked. We have the motivation and the support of parliament to transform this situation and to deliver a less cruel traffic to society than today, ”said the minister. "May this campaign bring us all the reflections and, especially, the attitudes, so that we can all be agents of this transformation," he added.
The campaign will run over the coming months across the country through billboards, bussdoors, posters, street furniture and social media content. Next week, the mobilization will gain strength with the National Traffic Week, celebrated between 18 and 25 September. Provided for in the Brazilian Traffic Code (CTB), the week will be celebrated with integrated actions between society and the government - federal, state and municipal. The theme “In traffic, give meaning to life” follows the United Nations (UN) guidelines to reduce traffic mortality rates by 50% in member countries.
The Secretary of Land Transport, General Jamil Megid, explained that this year, the focus of traffic campaigns will be on the most vulnerable in traffic: pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists, and that the idea is to work the theme throughout the year to that there is an effective change in population behavior. “We need to reduce the statistics on deaths and accidents, and there is no other way than education. And this transformation is a work of the whole society. It's a job that goes through each of us, ”he said.
For Denatran director Jerry Dias, National Traffic Week is a moment of reflection on the need for concrete actions that promote the reduction of traffic deaths and injuries. According to Dias, data from DPVAT insurance revealed that from 2008 to 2017, around 500,000 people lost their lives in Brazilian traffic and another 3 million had some form of permanent disability. “It is a very complex issue that should be considered as a public health problem. Therefore, the construction of solutions throughout society is necessary. Each person must understand that they are part of this solution, being more courteous in traffic and understanding that in traffic meaning is life, ”he said.
Campaigns 2019
National Traffic Week is part of the educational campaign of the National Traffic Council (Contran) for 2019, provided for in Resolution No. 771/2019 . It began in May this year and will continue until April 2020. Throughout this period, campaigns with specific themes will be published to draw society's attention on the subject.
The first major action took place in May, when the whole of Brazil mobilized to promote Yellow May. In June, the campaigns valued the crosswalks and the sign of life. In July, the initiatives focused on prevention during the school holidays, and in August, the goal was to educate about the use of mobile phones by pedestrians, cyclists and drivers.
Source: Ministry of Infrastructure