Skip to main content

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.”

Related Content

  • December 18, 2015
    Shift2Rail launches first calls for projects worth €170 million
    Shift2Rail, the joint undertaking backed by the European Commission and the rail industry, has published its first calls for proposals, with funding of US$184 million to support innovation in railways. The Commission will contribute US$97 million, with the other US$86 million provided by the members of Shift2Rail. In order to receive funding, projects will have to demonstrate their ability to increase the quality, reliability and punctuality of rail services while cutting its costs and facilitating cros
  • December 16, 2013
    Study finds big differences in toll collection cases
    Examination of Norway’s tolling companies finds much to praise, and some criticisms too, as Torill Eidsheim told delegates at the ASECAP conference. The cost of collecting tolls has a substantial effect on the profitability, or otherwise, of tolling companies and is within the company’s control to a far greater degree than, for instance, traffic volumes. And while it is easy to assume that all tolling companies incur similar collection costs, that is not always the case according to Torill Eidsheim, pres
  • December 3, 2015
    MEPs call for action to reduce air pollution and traffic congestion
    Ambitious emissions limits and a timeframe for real-world emissions testing should be set, say MEPs in a resolution on sustainable urban mobility adopted on Wednesday. Reliable public transport, car-sharing as well as ICT-enabled traffic management and working practices would help reduce traffic congestion and air pollution. Measures to improve conditions for cycling and walking should be taken, they add.
  • November 10, 2017
    Keeping cyber criminals from your website
    If a hacker can penetrate your website, they can do business as you. Joe Dysart explains how you and your customers may not discover the fraud for some time. In the latest twist on identity theft, hackers are clandestinely taking over business websites - and then brazenly billing visiting customers as if the sites are their own.