Community road safety awareness

Effective stakeholder engagement can reduce road risk by ensuring that all community needs - such as the needs of women or of vulnerable road users - are considered in all stages of road projects. There is a need, too, to prepare local communities for impending changes to roads (for example, higher speeds or changes in road layout). Civil society organisations can greatly assist with raising awareness of road risk. The most effective police enforcement campaigns are conducted working hand in hand with civil society partners, improving public acceptance for safety enforcement. Indeed, making projects and policies more responsive requires a systemic approach so as to ensure road safety for all. 

The EBRD has worked extensively with education authorities and transport departments in the countries where we work to promote local awareness of traffic rules and safer choices, such as seatbelt use.

The Bank has worked with our partners EASST on the pioneering ‘Safe Villages’ campaign to promote road safety in rural areas of Kazakhstan, where children are among the most vulnerable road users. We supported the translation of their Road Safety Education packs for children into Russian and Kazakh, as well as a public awareness-raising exercise in Aktobe Nazarbaev Public Park, which involved the staff of the regional juvenile police, Aktobe City Police and a local road safety NGO, targeting young people and parents of small children on the issue of pedestrian safety. The Safe Villages campaign is part of an initiative launched as part of the EBRD’s South West Corridor Road Rehabilitation project. 

Resources and links

• EASST 
• Road Safety Education Pack