In November during the International Cycling Safety Conference which took place in Italy, Bologna, Volvo launched a worldwide traffic safety campaign: ‘See and Be Seen.’ This has been set to increase awareness focusing on unprotected and venerable road users. This training package is now available worldwide and is targeted at cyclists ages 12 and over which is also an expansion on Volvo’s accomplished programme for youth titled ‘Stop Look Wave’, used all across the globe.
“Just like with ‘Stop Look Wave’, the ‘See and Be Seen’ programme aims to improve understanding of how unprotected road-users and trucks can interact in the traffic environment. However, this time we are focusing specifically on cyclists, teenagers and adults alike. With the fast pace of today’s traffic, it is vital that as many people as possible are aware of the risks in order to avoid incidents,” said Carl Johan Almqvist, Traffic and Product Safety Director at Volvo Trucks.
As implied by the programme’s title, ‘See and Be Seen’ details how vital it is for drivers to keep focus on surrounding vehicles and making yourself visible to HGV drivers, keeping eye contact with other drivers ensures you are at a safe distance from trucks.
“In order to reduce the risk of traffic accidents, we equip our trucks with increasingly intelligent safety systems and train truck drivers in the art of safe driving. However, since the human factor is of crucial significance in most traffic accidents, it is vital to increase safety awareness among all road-users,” Carl Johan Almqvist stated.
‘See and Be Seen’ has been developed for use with secondary school children of ages 12 and above. It is also a suitable programme for organisations to use with working adults, especially those who commute to areas such as London which has much more hazardous traffic. The package also includes teacher aids such as presentations, informative films and practical exercises.
For more information on the programme please visit the website
here.