Successfully concluded the IV International Forum on Children’s Road Safety (Fisevi) Colombia Chapter, the most important event on this matter in Latin America.
During the three days of agenda and constructive dialogue, the government of Iván Duque committed to strengthening the School Mobility Plans, launched the second season of the Universo Vial program, allocated resources to strengthen the virtual road safety school and announced the ‘Bicidestrezas’ strategy for children and adolescents.
(Road safety in Colombia: a pending task).
These commitments were endorsed between the Ministry of Transport, the National Road Safety Agency (ANSV) and the Gonzalo Rodríguez Foundation of Uruguay through the declaration of Colombia, a document in which the country reaffirmed its determined work to achieve the goals set at a global level in road safety by 2030 and committed to continue developing policies, strategies and plans that meet the needs of the child population on the roads.
The Minister of Transport (e), Camilo Pabón Almanza, during the panel called ‘Road safety actions from the transport sector for children and adolescents’ highlighted the work that has been led by the Ministry and that promotes active mobility to make of all road actors agents of change.
“Fisevi was a great achievement for our country because it was configured as a peak moment in the commitment of the government of President Iván Duque for the protection of children and adolescents. Education from an early age allows them not only to become exemplary road actors, but also to be replicators in their environments and their families of good practices and behaviors on the roads”, I note.
During the event there was also an important space regarding the attention to victims, given that saving lives on the road requires not only prevention, but also being able to respond adequately in the event of an accident in the so-called ‘golden hour’.
This item on the agenda was accompanied by a rescue drill carried out by the Bogota firefighters in which they announced the protocols for dealing with accidents when minors are involved.
For his part, Nhan Tran, Head of Security and Mobility at the World Health Organization, He highlighted at the conclusion of the event that the participation of the highest levels of government in this type of forum demonstrates the multisectoral articulation to succeed in the strategies that promote road safety.
“The first day I was here I was able to have a dialogue with the Minister of Transportation, but at the same time I was also able to meet with the Deputy Ministers of Sports, Health and Education. At the WHO, we are promoting a multisectoral approach to improve safety in transport and mobility, because we recognize that this requires perspectives from different sectors, it is not only the responsibility of the health sector to solve these problems. One of the indications of eventual success is having the right commitment from the different sectors. It was quite impressive that the First Lady of Colombia took time to participate in the event, this shows again that there is commitment and leadership at the highest levels”, pointed.
In addition, within the framework of Fisevi, the National Vila Security Agency (ANSV) made a special call to promote the use of child restraint seats, given that in the event of a road accident they can reduce fatalities and injuries by up to 80%. occurrence of serious injury during sudden braking or a crash.
This is how the entity published a practical guide in order to instruct on these devices and their importance. Luis Lota, director of the National Road Safety Agency, specified that having received the Fisevi Forum in the country is the reaffirmation of the commitment of the government of Iván Duque in the work of public road safety policies that allow reducing accident rates in the country.
“There were three days of constructive dialogue in which the joint strategies for the road safety of children and adolescents between the ANSV and the different government entities were ratified,” Indian.
On the third and last day of Fisevi, an event that brought together more than 1,000 people, both virtual and face-to-face, it was announced that the next forum will be led by El Salvador, a country that will continue with its commitment to making the region a safer territory. for children and adolescents.
