Mobility Communication Lab discusses the role of Communication in improving traffic safety

The online meeting brought together experts and communication professional

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 1,3 million people die in traffic accidents yearly, and 94% of these accidents are caused by human failure. The figures emphasize the importance of transforming the population’s culture and demystifying some myths through Communication. Called “Zero Vision principles and the Role of Communication to Achieve this Goal in Cities”, the Mobility Communication Lab approached this issue.

The event welcomed Nelson Silveira, Director of Communication Strategy at General Motors South America; Tainá Costa, Program Communication Manager at Vital Strategies; Vivi Tiezzi, urban design consultant specializing in road safety; and Daniel Escobar, Corporate Communications Manager at Amaggi.

GM’s Nelson Silveira reinforced the company’s “Zero Crashes, Zero Emission, and Zero Congestion” pillars and said that the future of autonomous cars is already a close reality. As for the Zero Vision – a movement that takes the safe system approach to road safety – the executive said that people often understand it as a very ambitious or utopian goal. “We have the role of showing that this is possible, so connecting and engaging people in this direction and communication are crucial for people to understand and engage in the issues.”

Several actors are involved in this process: governments, the public sector, automobile manufacturers, and citizens, as users or pedestrians, as Vital Strategies’ Tainá Costa pointed out. “Everyone has their role, and the responsibility is of all those involved – the system as a whole. And some spheres, such as public and private sectors, can have a tremendous impact and power of change and engagement.”

“In our research, many people feel comfortable driving at high speed because they think they are in control. The de-mystification work with some of these myths is important, and the press is an effective channel for engaging the population,” said Costa.

“The vision of future and success that we see in the media is essential,” said road safety expert Vivi Tiezzi, highlighting that several elements guarantee the concept of Zero Vision, such as awareness campaigns.

“When we talk about mobility, we are talking about access to the city and all it can provide us. And that safely and comfortably, respecting each one. We need to diversify that speech that the car is not the only villain. And the role of Communication is in supporting changes toward success,” she said.

Daniel Escobar, from Amaggi, said that the company has some mobility experience through the logistics area, which works in inland, inland waterway, and waterway modes. “Today, it is unthinkable to decide or do a job without thinking about the communication aspect that reaches the desired audiences and manages the transformations needed. I believe that mobility and transport follow the same logic because it is not about cars but people. We need to change a whole behavioral culture and engage citizens.”