Romania

Romania has historically faced one of the lowest rates of child restraint system use in the European Union. In 2019, European data indicated that only around one quarter of child passengers were transported using appropriate child restraint systems. This reflected a broader road safety challenge: high child injury and fatality risks linked to improper restraint, misuse of car seats, and limited parental awareness.

The main challenges addressed by our initiative include:

• low usage rates of child restraint systems
• incorrect installation and misuse of car seats
• lack of parental awareness regarding age-appropriate restraint systems
• widespread misconceptions influenced by marketing, informal advice, and outdated practices
• limited access to evidence-based guidance and professional counselling
• insufficient integration of child passenger safety education into healthcare and community services
• socio-economic disparities affecting access to safety information and equipment

Additionally, parents often receive conflicting information and lack practical, hands-on guidance on proper installation and safe transportation practices.

These challenges contribute to preventable injuries and fatalities among child passengers and hinder progress toward EU road safety targets.

Our initiative addresses these systemic barriers through education, professional training, community outreach, and evidence-based awareness programs designed to improve correct usage and long-term behavioral change.

The initiative addresses the disproportionately high risk of road accidents among young and novice drivers (18–24 years old), a vulnerable category in road traffic safety.

The main challenges identified include:

1. Distracted Driving
The widespread use of mobile phones while driving (texting, browsing, social media use) significantly increases crash risk. Young drivers are particularly exposed to digital distractions, which impair reaction time, attention, and hazard perception.

2. Peer Influence and Risk-Taking Behaviour
The presence of same-age passengers has been shown to increase the likelihood of risky driving behaviours, including speeding, aggressive manoeuvres, and reduced compliance with traffic rules.

3. Night-Time Driving Risks
Young drivers are overrepresented in night-time collisions due to reduced visibility, fatigue, and increased likelihood of high-risk behaviour during late hours.

4. Limited Experience and Hazard Perception Skills
Novice drivers lack practical experience in managing complex traffic situations, increasing their vulnerability in high-risk environments.

5. Insufficient Parental Engagement After Licensing
While parents play a key role during the learning phase, structured guidance and clearly defined roles for continued supervision during the first independent driving years are often lacking.

6. Gap Between Awareness and Behavioural Change
Although young drivers are generally aware of traffic rules, this awareness does not always translate into safe behaviour. There is a need for evidence-based tools that transform knowledge into practical, risk-reducing actions.

Low Awareness and Misuse of Child Restraint Systems (CRS)
Despite legislation requiring child car seats, many children in Romania travel unrestrained or improperly secured. The event highlights the importance of proper CRS selection and installation, using crash simulations and expert demonstrations to correct misconceptions and promote evidence-based practices (e.g., extended rear-facing travel).

High Risk Among Young and Inexperienced Drivers
Adolescents and newly licensed drivers are overrepresented in serious road crashes due to inexperience, distraction (especially smartphone use), alcohol or drug influence, and fatigue. The event uses VR simulations and interactive sessions to show real consequences, helping young drivers internalize the impact of their decisions behind the wheel.

Vulnerable Road Users: Pedestrians and Cyclists
Children and teens are especially vulnerable as pedestrians and cyclists, often due to low visibility, risky crossings, and lack of road safety education. Through distorted-vision simulations (alcohol, cannabis, fatigue), the event raises empathy and awareness about the fragility of vulnerable road users and the need for responsible behaviour from all traffic participants.

Parental Misconceptions and Risk Normalization
Many parents underestimate the consequences of everyday traffic choices—such as holding a child in their lap or disabling safety systems for comfort. Our activities directly engage parents through emotional storytelling, live demonstrations, and one-on-one safety consultations.

Lack of Intersectoral Collaboration in Road Safety Education
Road safety is often treated in silos (e.g., enforcement without education). This event brings together NGOs, emergency services, police, international road safety experts, and civil society in a unified effort to educate, engage, and empower local communities.

Gaps in Road Safety Education in Schools and Public Campaigns
Formal education on road safety is inconsistent and often outdated. Our project develops modern, engaging, and scalable tools (e.g., VR technology, interactive workshops) that can be replicated in schools and youth programs.

According to European Commission statistics, around 20,400 people lost their lives in road accidents across the European Union in 2023, a decrease of only 1 percent compared to the previous year. There were 46 traffic deaths per million inhabitants. While the long-term trend shows a 10% reduction compared to 2019, the current rate of decline is lower than the 4.5% annual reduction needed to reach the EU's target of halving road deaths by 2030.
Unfortunately, Romania continues to be positioned among the first countries in terms of mortality rate in road accidents. Thus, the overall ranking of mortality rates in EU countries has not changed significantly compared to the previous year, with the safest roads being in Sweden (22 deaths per million inhabitants) and Denmark (26) while Bulgaria (82) and Romania (81) reported the highest mortality rates in 2023.
This campaign is primarily dedicated to the people who act for life in the minutes and hours after a car crash, and to those who help make the transition process of the families affected by road crashes to a normal life as smooth as possible. At the same time, we want to help people understand the devastating effect of road accidents on those involved.

Asociatia Drum Sigur analyzed and researched the following design errors:
- incorrect use of signs for yielding priority in intersections (Give Way and Stop signs) (error found in most countries of the world)
- the formulas used to calculate the length of acceleration/deceleration lanes at road junctions are incorrect (they do not take into account the impact of heavy vehicle traffic, as well as the volume of traffic flows) (error found worldwide)
- the use of staggered pedestrian crossings at traffic lighted intersections has negative effects on pedestrian traffic in most cases. (case analysis for all the staggered pedestrian crossings in Bucharest)
- identification of design and execution errors for T-type intersections, roundabouts, turbo-roundabouts or interchanges in some cities in Romania.
- analyzing some design errors on certain streets in Bucharest and proposing measures to improve road safety and traffic flow.

The main purpose of the project is to unite communities and professionals from different areas of activity with the aim of reaffirming each person's right to safe journeys. The central message of this campaign is that every life matters on the road.