Moldova Receives 2024 Vision Zero for Youth International Leadership Award

CHAPEL HILL, NC, and MOLDOVA (November 21, 2024) — The Vision Zero for Youth initiative is pleased to name the Republic of Moldova as the 2024 recipient of the Vision Zero for Youth International Leadership Award.

Led by the National Center for Safe Routes to School in the USA with support from the FIA Foundation, the International Vision Zero for Youth Leadership Award recognizes and highlights noteworthy road safety practices with the goal of inspiring other places to take bold steps towards reaching zero traffic deaths among children and youth.

“The impressive collaboration in Moldova resulted in commitments to improve road safety for youth and, in particular, prioritizing slow speeds near schools,” said Nancy Pullen-Seufert, Director, National Center for Safe Routes to School.

The award is presented to the Moldova Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Automobile Club of Moldova for advocacy and action to improve road safety with new low-speed legislation which is protecting the country’s most vulnerable road users.

The Automobile Club of Moldova rallied activity in the capital of Chisinau, petitioning the mayor for better road safety for youth and other vulnerable road users with the support of 15 civic groups. This ultimately led to the implementation in 2021 of 30 km/h speed limits in parts of the city where many schools and kindergartens are located.

The success and impact of this action supported further advocacy by the Automobile Club of Moldova at a national level, and in 2022, the Moldovan government introduced 30 km/h speed zones around school zones and roads near hospitals, parks, and historic landmarks. Further, it is anticipated that the Republic of Moldova will sign a new National Road Safety Programme into law in late 2024. It aims to reduce the number of serious injuries and deaths through a combination of road safety measures, improved road infrastructure, and road user behavior.

“At the national level, Moldova loses around twenty children in road crashes that could have been prevented each year,” said Andrei Cecoltan, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Moldova. “Introducing a speed limit of 30 km/h in areas adjacent to educational institutions, hospitals, parks, and historic city centers is a crucial measure to protect vulnerable road users, such as children, pedestrians, people with disabilities, and the elderly. By reducing speed, it significantly lowers the risk of serious accidents and increases safety in urban spaces. This measure not only protects lives, but also helps create a safer and friendlier road environment for all. It is crucial to meet the targets of the new United Nations Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety. Introducing the 30 km/h limit in these areas is not just a technical regulation, but a commitment by national and local authorities and the community to protect lives and improve the quality of life in our cities. It’s a measure that makes us feel safer, more connected, and more accountable to those around us.”

“The Automobile Club of Moldova is deeply honored to receive the Vision Zero for Youth International Leadership Award,” said Tatiana Mihailova, Vice-President/CEO of the Automobile Club of Moldova/ProtectMD Foundation. “This recognition highlights our common efforts with other interested national counterparts to advocate for safer streets through policy changes, such as implementation of mandatory 30 km/h speed limits around schools and other areas. It is demonstrated by various studies and facts that reducing the speed to 30 km/h can make the difference between a minor incident and a tragedy. Protecting children and our most vulnerable citizens is at the heart of our mission, and everyone should be committed to ensuring that our roads are safe for everyone. The safety of children and pedestrians must always be a priority.”

On Nov. 21, 2024, the Award will be presented in Chisinau by Rita Cuypers, FIA Foundation Director of Partnerships, in the presence of key road safety partners.

Places recognized with the Vision Zero for Youth International Leadership Award have taken impressive action to improve walking and biking safety for their children and youth with the goal of building safer, healthier communities for everyone. The International Award is in its fifth year, and this is the first year when the award will recognize a country.

Led by the National Center for Safe Routes to School in the USA, the Award program is guided by the Vision Zero for Youth International Leadership Award Committee, comprised of international road safety organizations including FIA Foundation, Global Designing Cities Initiative, Youth for Road Safety, International Road Assessment Programme, Safe Kids, and others. Committee members nominate cities for consideration, and the full committee votes from a short-list of candidate cities. For more information about the Award, including a list of past recipients, please visit www.visionzeroforyouth.org/awards/international/. To learn more about Vision Zero for Youth, visit: www.visionzeroforyouth.org.

 

Media contacts:

Kate Turner, FIA Foundation
k.turner@fiafoundation.org
+44 7879893222

Jennifer Palcher-Silliman, Vision Zero for Youth
silliman@hsrc.unc.edu
+1 919-923-1359

 

About Vision Zero for Youth
Launched by the National Center for Safe Routes to School in 2016, the Vision Zero for Youth initiative encourages communities and elected officials to focus safety improvements and efforts to slow traffic speeds where children and youth travel. Starting with youth can be the spark that creates community support for a broader Vision Zero program to eliminate all traffic fatalities. The initiative includes resources, ideas for taking action, opportunities for city leaders to commit, and national and international recognition programs. Support for the initiative is provided by the FIA Foundation and the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center. Learn more at www.visionzeroforyouth.org.

About the National Center for Safe Routes to School
Established in 2006, the National Center for Safe Routes to School helps communities change their culture around safe and active travel. Its role includes national coordination and technical assistance for U.S. Walk & Roll to School Day and Bike & Roll to School Day, and providing tools, training, research, and evaluation for safe walking and bicycling for children and youth. The National Center for Safe Routes to School served as the U.S. Federal Highway Administration’s clearinghouse for the federal SRTS program for 11 years. Learn more at www.saferoutesinfo.org.