The United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Road Safety, Jean Todt, has launched the global United Nations campaign "Make a Safety Statement" in France, in cooperation and with the support of JCDecaux, and with the Île-de-France Region as a partner. This initiative aims to raise awareness of risky behavior on the road and is supported by 16 world celebrities and Olympic and Paralympic athletes.
The campaign is part of the second Decade of Action for Road Safety, which aims to halve the number of road fatalities by 2030. By the end of 2025, the campaign will have been displayed in 80 countries and 1,000 cities thanks to the global partnership between the United Nations and JCDecaux. It has already been deployed in more than 40 countries, including Belgium, the United States, Japan, Mexico, and the United Arab Emirates, on the street furniture of the world's No. 1 outdoor advertising company, located in public spaces, airports, train stations, metros and shopping centers.
A silent pandemic
Every year, we face a staggering toll worldwide: Road crashes kill 1.19 million people and seriously injure more than 50 million.
"Road crashes are a silent pandemic, often overshadowed by more visible public health crises. Yet the consequences are no less serious. The victims are not just numbers; they are people whose families, aspirations and lives are brutally cut short. The urgency is palpable and this campaign, created in partnership with JCDecaux and with the support of the Publicis group, conveyed by world celebrities and Olympic champions, aims to awaken minds and put an end to this tragedy," underlines the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Road Safety, Jean Todt.
This pandemic primarily affects low-and middle-income countries, which account for more than 90% of road fatalities (WHO 2021). However, France is far from being spared, with 3,170 deaths in metropolitan France in 2023. The average mortality rate linked to road crashes in the European Union (EU) was 4.6 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants in 2022. Sweden and Denmark had the lowest mortality rates, with 2.2 and 2.6 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants respectively, while Romania had 8.6 deaths/100,000 inhabitants (EU 2023). France, for its part, had 5 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, a sad situation demonstrating that the country lags behind the European average.
Who are the most vulnerable on the road?
Users of 2-wheelers in cities are the most vulnerable and in urgent need of protection. In the EU, the vast majority of deaths occur in urban areas and concern pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists, who represent 70% of victims. In France, the number of victims is increasing among users of personal motorised transport devices such as scooters, with 42 killed in 2023 (+7% compared to 2022).
"The road safety figures are overwhelming: several lives lost, families broken and serious injuries that will mark the victims forever. This is why the Île-de-France Region is strongly committed to working alongside its population to win the battle for road safety. With the Île-de-France 2030 mobility plan, we have the ambitious objective of halving the number of deaths and serious injuries on the roads and streets of the Île-de-France. This has already resulted in more than €70 million invested since 2016 to improve road infrastructure, reduce accident-prone areas, secure level crossings and access to high schools. Current events regularly highlight the vulnerability of pedestrians and cyclists. The recent tragedy of Paul Varry, a cyclist killed in October 2024 by a motorist in Paris, reminds us that our determination to combat road accidents must be constant and strong. Last December, the Region organized the Regional Cycling Meetings, with all stakeholders, in order to take concrete measures to ensure that this type of tragedy does not happen again. With the Île-de-France Bike Network and the Regional Bike Plan, we are supporting the construction of dedicated and secure cycling infrastructure so that residents of the Île-de-France region can cycle with complete peace of mind. I wanted us to also encourage research programs to identify the causes of non-compliance with the highway code (in conjunction with the Gustave Eiffel University), and to support innovative companies to raise awareness of road safety (while measuring and promoting prevention efforts) or to develop new solutions for detecting alcohol levels by simple contact with the skin," emphasizes the President of the Île-de-France Region, Valérie Pécresse
Road crashes are also tragically the leading cause of death among children and young people (aged 5-29) worldwide. In the EU, mortality peaks among 18-24-year-olds, followed by those aged over 65.
#MakeASafetyStatement
The campaign, called "#MakeASafetyStatement," aims to reduce risk factors, especially in urban areas, and to ensure safe driving for pedestrians and drivers. Sixteen global celebrities and dozens of national figures, such as Olympic champions, have joined the initiative to support the implementation and enforcement of road safety rules. The simple and effective messages shared by the celebrities include wearing a seat belt, driving at an appropriate speed, wearing a helmet, not texting while driving, not driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and respecting pedestrians and cyclists.
"Outdoor advertising is at the heart of all mobility - pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, motorists, new soft mobility or shared travel - and we are proud to contribute, thanks to the power of our locations, to the dissemination of these prevention messages. For this great global cause that we defend, we are delighted to now display the campaign in France, after having successfully deployed it in more than 40 countries since September 2023 in collaboration with Jean Todt, the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Road Safety. Our sustainable media relies on its power and popularity to raise awareness among as many people as possible of the safety rules that must be respected and the vigilance that must be shown at all times for a new sharing of public space, safe for everyone and peaceful for all," explains the Chairman of the Executive Board and Co-CEO of JCDecaux, Jean-Charles Decaux.
Among the celebrities taking part in the campaign, are the football icon Ousmane Dembélé, F1 driver Charles Leclerc, Oscar-winning actress and UNDP Goodwill Ambassador Michelle Yeoh, tennis legend Novak Djokovic, singer and musician Kylie Minogue, motorcycle racer Marc Marquez, supermodel Naomi Campbell, actor Patrick Dempsey, musician Youssou N'Dour, actress Julie Gayet, actor Michael Fassbender, football legend Didier Drogba, two-time Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon, racing driver Mick Schumacher, actor Jean Reno and Tour de France winner and world champion Tadej Pogačar. National figures such as singer Laura Pausini, and thanks to the support of the International Olympic Committee, Olympic champions, have also joined the initiative.
Risk factors too often overlooked
Drinking and driving, speeding, drowsiness, inattention, failure to wear seat belts and helmets, negligence and failure to comply with the Highway Code are responsible for most road crashes. However, according to WHO, progress still needs to be made in terms of legislation and safety standards. Only seven countries in the world, including France (as well as Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal and Sweden) have laws that meet WHO best practices for all risk factors - speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol or distracted driving, and wearing a motorcycle helmet that meets UN standards. These laws still need to be respected, which is far from being the case.
