To make their voice heard, the #SaveKidsLives campaign has been launched to highlight the plight of children on the world’s roads, generate action to better ensure their safety, and promote the inclusion of safe and sustainable transport in the post-2015 development agenda.

The centrepiece of the #SaveKidsLives campaign, launched in November 2014, is the Child Declaration. Developed with input from children around the world who voiced their fears about travelling on our roads, the Child Declaration calls upon decision-makers worldwide to take action and protect children.

The campaign calls on everyone to “sign it”, “show it”, and “deliver it” to those in charge of road safety. The campaign also asks participants to download and print the #SaveKidsLives signboard and to take a “#Safie” with their personalised message.

During the third UN Global Road Safety week, governments, international agencies, civil society organizations and private companies are also being encouraged to plan and host events to mark and promote child safety.

Given this occasion, the FIA is mobilising its network of automobile clubs by supporting 30 initiatives to improve child safety at national and regional levels. The FIA is also working toward raising awareness of the Child Declaration at both the general public and governmental level.

The FIA Road Safety Grant Programme, supported by the FIA Foundation, will help clubs in many countries by funding road safety initiatives that focus on educational projects for safer walking and cycling to school, safer sharing of the road between kids and adults and events and campaigns supporting the correct use of seat belts and child restraints.

Clubs from Australia, Austria, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czech Republic, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Hong Kong, India, Iran, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Lebanon, Nepal, Nigeria, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Syria, Thailand and Uruguay will receive funding to achieve this.

The UN Global Road Safety week is an initiative of the UN Road Safety Collaboration, an informal consultative mechanism that facilitates international cooperation and strengthens global and regional coordination among UN agencies and main organisations involved in road safety. Previous Global Road Safety weeks have focussed on pedestrian road safety (The ‘Long Short Walk’ campaign, 2013) and the launch of the Decade of Action (2011).

To learn more about the #SaveKidsLives campaign, visit the official website.

To learn more about the FIA Road Safety Grant Programme, follow this link.