FIA launches road safety initiative: #ParkYourPhone when on the road

European MEP Dieter Liebrech Koch, FIA Region I and its member Clubs are launching #ParkYourPhone, a campaign to encourage responsible smartphone use in traffic. The campaign will be rolled out across Europe the Middle East and Africa by FIA Clubs in autumn 2017. MEP Koch said that while Europe has done much to improve safety, be it on technical improvements of the vehicles, better training for road users or infrastructure, new technologies, such as smart phones and tablets, bring about new challenges.
September 28, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
European MEP Dieter Liebrech Koch, 8054 FIA Region I and its member Clubs are launching #ParkYourPhone, a campaign to encourage responsible smartphone use in traffic. The campaign will be rolled out across Europe the Middle East and Africa by FIA Clubs in autumn 2017.


MEP Koch said that while Europe has done much to improve safety, be it on technical improvements of the vehicles, better training for road users or infrastructure, new technologies, such as smart phones and tablets, bring about new challenges.

European Commissioner for Transport, Violeta Bulc, supported FIA Region 1’s initiative, saying, “With smartphones becoming more popular than ever, it seems increasingly difficult to take our eyes off the screen. In fact, distracted driving is the cause of a growing number of road deaths and injuries. It is vital that we keep our attention on the road. As Transport Commissioner, road safety is one of my ongoing priorities. A simple way to reduce accidents is to keep your eyes on the road and off your smartphone.”

FIA President and UN Secretary-General’s special envoy for road safety, Jean Todt, said “Road safety is among my top priorities. Drivers, cyclists and pedestrians need to understand the dangers of using smartphones in traffic. To combat the 3,500 lives lost every day in road accidents, I urge all road users to park their phones when they are in traffic.”

FIA Region I director general, Laurianne Krid, said: “There are many ways to be active in traffic, from a young to an older age. FIA Region I and its member Clubs believe that lifelong learning is key to ensure the safest roads. This campaign reminds us of the many distractions that cross our path on a daily basis and encourages everyone to #ParkYourPhone and remain focussed on the road while in traffic.”

For more information on companies in this article

FIA

Related Content

  • London to have ‘car-free day’ in September
    June 21, 2019
    In a bid to highlight the ongoing problem of pollution from vehicles, London is to stage its biggest car-free day yet on 22 September. The Sunday date has been timed to coincide with World Car Free Day, which encourages motorists to give up their cars for a day. This type of activity is increasingly popular in cities worldwide – with Bogota, Colombia, and Jakarta, Indonesia, among the early adopters – as authorities wake up to the health impacts. More than half of air pollution in the UK capital is ca
    Read More
  • The future of ITS post recession
    January 25, 2012
    ACS, A Xerox Company's Cees de Wijs talks about post-recession recovery and what we might expect to see in the coming years
    Read More
  • NHTSA: Improve safety - but don't stifle innovation
    June 6, 2018
    Road safety is vital – but it must be possible to achieve it without stifling innovation. That was the central message from safety supremo Heidi King in her keynote speech at the official opening of ITS America’s 2018 annual meeting in Detroit. King, the deputy administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), said that new technology must be embraced: “Vehicle automation is a central focus because of its life-saving potential.” She emphasised that NHTSA – part of the US Departmen
    Read More
  • Tolling is still stuck on the sidelines says ASECAP speaker
    August 19, 2015
    Geoff Hadwick attended ASECAP’s 2015 Study Days meeting in Lisbon and found a frustrated European tolling sector undertaking some soul searching. The international road tolling industry its failing to make it case and the sector is losing out to a range of other socio-political lobby groups according to International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA) chief executive Pat Jones. Speaking at the recent 2015 ASECAP Study Days conference in Lisbon, Jones issued a stark warning: “Tolling is still o
    Read More

Highlighted Content