In its committed with the nation-wide Yellow May movement, the Port of Açu stopped 150 drivers during an education action on BR-356, a highway that leads to the enterprise, in São João da Barra. Along with the action, about 100 public school students attended lectures and played games focused on the traffic theme, sponsored by the Port of Açu.
In the first initiative, bus, truck and car drivers received fliers and information about accident rates and prevention. The Port of Açu’s Occupational Health and Safety area got support from BPort (a company with facilities inside the Port Complex), from SEST/SENAT transportation industry association, and from the Federal Highway Patrol.
Rodrigo Castana, a manager in the Occupational Health and Safety area, explained that the company’s commitment to fostering awareness is not restricted to its associates. “We were adamant about expanding our actions to the external audience, given that traffic safety depends on the cooperation of everyone involved. Traffic is part of anyone’s life — as a driver, passenger, pedestrian or bike rider. Educational actions such as these seek to promote awareness about accident prevention, helping to increase safety for all,” he said.
DSC03738.JPGThe Port of Açu’s Social Responsibility area got involved in the campaign by organizing two meetings with students from João Flávio Batista public school, in the Cajueiro district. First and second graders watched cartoons about the theme and played memory games with traffic signs. Seventh, eighth and ninth graders watched actual Yellow May videos.
Created five years ago by the National Observatory for Highway Safety, the campaign alerts the population to the high worldwide rate of deaths and injuries in accidents. The subject of this edition of the campaign is #NósSomosOTrânsito (#WeAreTraffic), which proposes society’s direct involvement in traffic safety actions and new forms of dealing with mobility.
To mobilize the Port’s associates, the symbol of the campaign will be distributed to all. The yellow ribbon is an invitation to adopt safer and more responsible behavior in traffic. The group also participated in lectures on the subject offered by the Firemen, transportation industry association SEST SENAT, and toll-road operator Autopista Fluminense.
According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2009, nearly 1.3 million deaths from traffic accidents were reported in 178 countries. That is equivalent to 3,000 lives lost per day and the ninth cause of death in the world. If there are no changes, the WHO estimates that 1.9 million people will die in traffic in 2020 (moving it up to the fifth largest cause of death) and to 2.4 million in 2030.
