Please describe the main road safety challenges/problems you have addressed or are addressing.
Motorbike is the only vehicle approved by State to be driven by non-adults. In other words, as a society we welcome non-adults in the every-day traffic asking from them to be responsible as adults. In Greece – like in other Mediterranean countries – there is a high percentage of young riders. It is true that there are many young riders who are riding illegally as they are younger than 16 years old. There is a high percentage of accidents, in which young riders are involved. Only after 2000s young riders (for the category AM) are taking exams under the responsibility of the Ministry of Transport in accordance with the EU directives. Before that, young riders only needed to take substandard exams under the responsibility of local Police Authorities. It is a crucial issue to create the culture of safe riding especially from the very early ages. We aim to impact positively to this cultural change promoting the concepts of safety and freedom in general and through motorcycling in particular, in the terms of the social activity of transporting. Our related activities have been running since 2012. We propose our activity as a real example of a long-term action: We address to young people with a POSITIVE message; until now, messages about safe transporting were about fatal accidents and negative connotations. The fear seemed to be the mean to promote safety. We promote a POSITIVE message instead, related with respect and joy in the terms of a qualitative traffic culture in the terms of social activity of transporting. Our activities are based ONLY on volunteers who are related with the subject of the program; this approach makes the message STRONGER and TRUSTFUL. In other words, we provide an example for self-funded social projects affecting to a cultural change. Other related or non-related social associations can follow our example for developing their actions and participating to a general effort for social improvement.
What are your objectives?
To show to young people how we - motorcyclists - see the motorbike and to show the safe way we use it.
To bring young people in touch with the concepts of safety and freedom through motorcycling, in the terms of the social activity of transporting.
To show good practice derived from the real life as active motorcyclists. In other words, we aim to impact in the needed cultural change.
It is the only informative program about safety issues and motorcycle, approved by the Greek Ministry of Education. Teaching staff invite us to their schools. Since 2012 more that 11500 pupils nation-wide have been informed by volunteers - members of the Institute certificated as ROSPA- RoADAR ADVANCED RIDER. It is an action, from which the message about motorcycling comes from the motorcyclists themselves. It is an action with a POSITIVE message about the traffic safety and about the use of motorcycle and its advanced/safe use.We propose our activity as a real example of a long-term action: a) address to young people with a POSITIVE message; until now messages about safe transporting were about fatal accidents and negative connotations. The fear seemed to be the mean to promote safety. We promote a POSITIVE message instead, related with respect and joy in the terms of a qualitative traffic culture in the terms of social activity of transporting. b) based ONLY on volunteers who are related with the subject of the program; this approach makes the message STRONGER and TRUSTFUL. In other words, we provide an example for self-funded social projects affecting to a cultural change. Other related or non related social associations can follow our example for developing their actions and participating to a general effort for social improvement.
Evaluation
What has been the effect of the activities?
The evaluation methods are: a) qualitative evaluation via survey. The data source is the involved teaching staff of the schools. Note: It is not freely allowed to survey pupils. The evaluation aims to identify the satisfaction regarding the content and the general impact of the presentation and to collect suggestions for improvement. b) quantitative evaluation (on academic annual basis) of the total amount of presentations in schools and pupils, evaluating the regional coverage.
How have you shared information about your project and its results?
Regular practice is during academic year we publish our activities in schools (avoiding to publish pictures of pupils themselves) in social media and via our newsletter addressed to the motorcycling community, to Press and to the administrative units of Ministry of Education. At the end of each academic year, we send a full report of our activities in schools to the Ministry of Education applying for re-approval of our program. In addition, from the academic year 2018-2019 onwards we publish the results of the evaluation survey to national and regional press, on our web site and to social media.
How many people did you reach/have you reached?
Who carried/carries out the evaluation activities?
When did/will you carry out the evaluation?
Please describe the evaluation tools you use (i.e. surveys, interviews, focus groups, etc.)
Qualitative evaluation via survey
Quantitative evaluation via analysis of the total annual data