Can you see them?

The funding for this came from the FIA and its member clubs. “FIA Region I is extremely proud of this initiative, which shows how much our network can make a concrete contribution to road safety in South Africa and beyond. These small steps, put together, make a difference!” said Laurianne Krid, director general of FIA Region I.

StatsSA’s National Household Travel Survey 2020 shows that 17.4 million South Africans walk to where they need to go. Ten million learners walk to school, which means we have some 27 million pedestrians on our roads every day. The visibility of these people has thus become of critical concern. Wearing a sash will improve visibility and hopefully decrease pedestrian accidents on the roads.

“Up to 40% of all road deaths on South African roads annually are pedestrians and we consider initiatives such as the #ISeeYou campaign critical to improving road safety, and to reduce these horrific numbers. In addition to highlighting the need for greater pedestrian visibility, the campaign also seeks to drive increased mutual respect between motorists and pedestrians, hence the name of the campaign: I See You,” said Willem Groenewald, CEO of the AA.

“Another big danger for pedestrians – especially those who walk on dimly lit or unlit roads – is that they are ‘invisible to motorists who may only see them when it’s too late to avoid hitting them. Our message to pedestrians is clear: making yourself more visible could save your life,” he said.

The #ISeeYou campaign is also being run in Botswana, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Kenya and Rwanda. In addition to the ‘live’ activations at taxi ranks, the #ISeeYou campaign features print, radio and television advertising to re-enforce the high visibility messaging.

Should you wish to contribute to this campaign, visit www.aa.co.za.

Source and photos: AA