AS the world goes back to its normal, sociable, interactive modes at work and in school, so will commuting and transporting people which in turn increases the risk of injuries and deaths from road mishaps and pedestrian movement.
The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies pedestrians as vulnerable road users alongside cyclists. And incidents involving collisions or riding vehicles on the road is the leading cause of death globally for children five years and older, many of them schoolchildren. It is in this particular sector that the 3M Company wants to focus its road safety effort from now until 2024.
3M, a company known for adhesives and the automotive aftermarket, is also deep into road safety by creating products and programs, including increasing the visibility of road users through road markings and signages, as well as education and awareness programs. During the lockdowns, the company conducted no less than a dozen road safety webinars for journalists and road safety advocates.
Recently, consistent with its road safety advocacies both in its product development and outreach initiatives announced a new program and its commitment to increase safety and visibility in 100 school zones in 23 countries, around the world including the Philippines and ten other countries in Asia by 2024.
“3M’s commitment to improving school zone safety centers on the belief that every child deserves a chance at an education and getting to school safely shouldn’t be a barrier,” says Dr. Dan Chen, president, 3M Transportation Safety Division in a webinar launching the safety program.
In the middle of 2021, 3M, commissioned third-party independent research in 11 countries back in 2021 to identify the top concerns of adults relative to getting to and from home safely, as well as their views on the current state of transportation safety in their communities.
The 3M report mentioned that in Asia Pacific (APAC), as many as 46 percent of those surveyed reported having a family member or close friend who has died or been seriously injured in a traffic accident, significantly higher than the 33 percent globally. Ranking high among community transportation safety concerns, 84 percent of parents (vs 75percent globally) are concerned about getting their children to and from school safely.
“Over the next two years, we will work with NGOs and government agencies to improve safety in school zones and develop a scalable model for high-risk and under-resourced communities to create safer roads for all children,” Chen added.
According to the International Road Assessment Programme’s (iRAP) Vaccines for Roads Big Data Tool, traffic incidents and road crashes kill nearly 2,000 people and injure 54,000 every day across the Asia Pacific region.
With nearly 10 million registered vehicles on the road, and a ratio of only 12 percent of the population having cars while the rest depend on public transportation and poorly built pedestrian management facilities, it is no wonder that in the Philippines a total of 65,032 road safety incidents were logged in 2020, resulting in the death of 337 people.
These road crash numbers are according to the report of the Metro Manila Accident Reporting and Analysis System (MMARAS). That’s an average of 178 road-crash incidents per day–all within the limitations of the pandemic. Many of these road crashes seemed to involve bicycles and motorcycles due to the increase of usage of these vehicles during the lockdowns. The MMARAS report lists 50,230 cases resulting to damage to property, and 14,465 resulting in non-fatal injury.
One key cause of deaths and injuries? Poor road engineering
The WHO identified underdeveloped roadways, a lack of crosswalks, and poor visibility in school zones are big risk factors for the youngest pedestrians. In the Philippines millions of children walk to school. Now biking has been added to the risk factor. The WHO also says that the rate at which “these incidents happen drastically increases within low-income countries and communities indicating a clear need for change.”
3M recognizes the urgency in addressing these dangers and the need for safer school zones.
Improving school zone safety by 2024
“We are currently partnering with several local schools and institutions to support our mission to advance safety in school zones and road systems in order to keep our children safe, and their education secure,” Reggie Pulumbarit, 3M Philippines Country Leader explains.
3M has been working in communities around the world to help make roads safer for all, with the mission of helping bring families home safely. From this year to 2024, 3M aims to amplify its commitment to keeping roads safe with its school zone transformations.
“In addition to continuing our advocacy work for improving road safety standards, we at 3M Philippines are committed to helping schools across the country become more secure for their students by keeping the roads around them safe,” Pulumbarit concludes.
Community collaboration
For more than eight decades, 3M’s Transportation Safety Division has had the mission to advance transportation infrastructure and mobility globally. The installation of high-performance road materials and technologies, like Diamond Grade Reflective Sheeting for school zone signage and Pavement Marking Tape to help improve reflectivity and visibility for motorists and pedestrians, have helped families return home safely.
And while technology and innovation are necessary steps to create safer road conditions, 3M continues to collaborate and work with communities, civic and government leaders, policymakers, NGOs and other organizations to help lead change and create safer roadway systems globally.
As a member of the UN Global Compact, 3M believes in the role public-private partnerships can play in solving pressing global issues, such as road and transportation safety. 3M is a signatory of the Call on President Biden to End Roadway Fatalities and a pledge of the United Nations General Assembly Decade of Action for Road Safety to prevent at least 50 percent of road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030. To get involved and learn more about 3M’s School Zone Road Safety, visit 3M.com/schoolzonesafety.
