Seat belt interventions A role for NGOs Saul Billingsley, Deputy Director, FIA Foundation

1. Seat belt interventions A role for NGOs Saul Billingsley, Deputy Director, FIA Foundation GRSP Asia, Singapore, 7 October 2009

2. Stages of a seat belt and child restraint programme Justify the need to act Assess the situation Establish working group Develop the action plan Implement action plan Evaluate

3. Stages of a seat belt and child restraint programme NGO acts as catalyst Justify the need to act Assess the situation Establish working group Develop the action plan Implement action plan Evaluate

4. Stages of a seat belt and child restraint programme NGO acts as catalyst Justify the need to act Assess the situation Establish working group Develop the action plan NGO supports action: Awareness raising ‘trust’ factor Implement action plan Evaluate

5. GRSP in Sakhalin

6. ‘Por Amor’ campaign in Costa Rica

7. Costa Rica: small country with big problems • No seat belt law • Strong political opposition • Rising road deaths (60% increase in just 4 years)

8. NGO willing to act as a catalyst • Coalition: • Automobile club – lobbying and campaigning • Road Safety Council (public/private) • Insurance company • FIA Foundation – providing finance and external pressure for action

9. Political champion

10. Political champion

11. 4. Seat belt interventions The combined approach Legislation, penalties standards Interventions Mandatory Voluntary Laws on fittings & usage Publicity campaigns Police enforcement Employer initiatives Penalties & fines Education & training Standards & equipment Insurance & incentives

12. Costa Rica seat belt campaign The combined approach Legislation, penalties standards Interventions Voluntary Laws on fittings & usage Publicity campaigns (for public & politicians) Penalties & fines ‘Soft’ police enforcement Standards & equipment

13. Costa Rica seat belt campaign The combined approach Legislation, penalties standards Interventions Mandatory Voluntary Laws on fittings & usage Publicity campaigns Police enforcement Penalties & fines Education Other initiatives Standards & equipment

14. Por Amor – ‘for love’ of your family, community, sense of civic duty

15. Por Amor – ‘for love’ of your family, community, sense of civic duty

16. Por Amor – ‘for love’ of your family, community, sense of civic duty

17. Political success – legislation passed

18. Police empowered to enforce seat belt law

19. Results • Driver seat belt wearing increased from 24 – 82% • The seat belt law seems to be bedded in – no more legal challenges • Road safety has assumed a higher political profile

20. Armenia NRSC – another NGO in action • National Road Safety Council NGO established in 2005 with FIA Foundation support • Funders now include USAID, civic advocacy foundations, commercial sponsors • First projects focused on building awareness and trust with authorities

21. Armenia NRSC – another NGO in action • Government has introduced new seat belt laws and enforcement in August 09 • 90% wearing rates in cities according to spot-checks • Government has announced 5 year Road Safety strategy • new inter-Ministerial council established, with NRSC on the board

22. Uruguay – improving child restraints • ‘Edu-Car’ Project by Gonzalo Rodriguez Foundation • Aims: - to improve data collection • - to raise awareness about benefits of CRS • - to increase supply & improve design of CRS.

23. Seat-belts in a Decade of Action • NGOs can play an important role in catalysing action on seat belts • Seat belts can be a wedge issue leading to other improvements • FIA Foundation will be supporting capacity building & seat belt campaigns in the ‘Decade of Action’