Last week during the annual Traffic Safety Dinner of the Royal Dutch Touring Club (ANWB), 41 parties in The Netherlands signed the Traffic Safety Agreement. ANWB is one of the initiators of the Agreement. A very important section of the Agreement concerns distraction in traffic. This is one of the biggest road safety issues society is facing right now. Government, police and society need to come together to address the topic.

The ANWB wanted to map out how Dutch consumers feel about using smartphones in traffic. What they found is that there is a significant difference between young people and people older than 35. Young people do not see a problem in using their smartphone and they will only be participating more in traffic in the coming years. Now is the time to make a change in that way of thinking.

In the 41 signatories to the Traffic safety Agreement, there are: Government (local and national), Universities, Industrial companies, (traffic) interest groups and FIA. The reactions to this Traffic Safety Agreement have been very positive. All parties understand the importance of the issue and want to help make a difference.

In this context, ANWB was the first to launch the #ParkYourPhone campaign, showing the animation during the event. The #ParkYourPhone video and the Traffic Safety Agreement will be shared as much as possible, leading to a strong message transmission to ANWB members.

The ANWB believes this is a project which will take time. There needs to be a better understanding amongst young people about the consequences of distraction in traffic. Through these partnerships, ANWB  believes the messages can be amplified, and further internationally via the FIA network.

See the Traffic Safety Agreement