JCDecaux inks deal with UN to run global road safety campaign

The United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Road Safety, Mr Jean Todt, and Jean-Charles Decaux, co-CEO of JCDecaux, have launched a new UN Global Road Safety campaign to address road traffic crashes, which are the leading cause of death for people aged 5 to 29 around the world.

“We are very proud to partner with the United Nations and Jean Todt, the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Road Safety, to launch this international road safety campaign relevant to everyone. No matter how we travel, this important cause affects us all, from pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and drivers to people using new forms of mobility or making shared trips. We can all play a part in reducing the terrible consequences faced by so many families worldwide. This campaign underlines how our sustainable media can use its power and mass reach to raise awareness of the safety rules that must be respected at all times and the care that must be taken to ensure a safe and pleasant public space for us all,” says Jean-Charles Decaux, co-CEO of JCDecaux.

Over the next two years, the campaign will appear on billboards and in public areas in 80 countries, around 1,000 countries worldwide, thanks to a global partnership with JCDecaux. The campaign will be translated into 30 languages and will feature several celebrities. Under the motto #MakeaSafetyStatement, the campaign will encourage road users to adopt simple and effective rules to stay safe.

The first participating celebrities include:

• Naomi Campbell, supermodel

• Ousmane Dembélé, football icon

• Patrick Dempsey, actor

• Novak Djokovic, tennis legend

• Didier Drogba, football legend

• Michael Fassbender, actor

• Julie Gayet, actress

• Charles Leclerc, F1 driver

• Marc Márquez, motorcycle racer

• Kylie Minogue, musician

• Youssou N’Dour, musician

• Mick Schumacher, F1 driver

• Michelle Yeoh, Oscar-winning actress & UNDP Goodwill ambassador

The celebrities will make a safety statement, including wearing a seat belt, driving slowly, wearing a helmet, not texting and driving, not driving under the influence, and not driving tired.  They will also call on fans, followers and the public to adopt the same habits.

The campaign was launched in Brussels during the European Mobility Week (16-22 September), with the participation of Adina Vălean, European Commissioner for Transport. The campaign is on display in the streets of Brussels and at Brussels Airport, as well as in the streets of Liège, Antwerp and Lier.

Speaking at the press conference of the launch, EU Commissioner for Transport Adina Vãlean said,  “During this year’s European Mobility Week, around 3,000 cities from 50 countries will be encouraging their citizens to try out more sustainable ways of moving around. Walking and cycling are two such options. But sustainability must go hand-in-hand with safety, and sadly, vulnerable road users are still over-represented in road fatality statistics. In the EU, pedestrians account for around 18% of fatalities, and cyclists account for 9%. I welcome this global campaign to turn this around – to help us learn from each other, raise awareness of how to keep all road users safe, and – ultimately – to save lives”.