Italy | Association

A non-profit association that seeks mainly to improve road safety, and also makes proposals and undertakes projects and analyses and other useful initiatives. It has 500 members, including police officers and members of the public.

“Amici per la Vita” [Friends for Life]. Using this slogan, a group of young “teachers” who have been specially trained and supervised by our association will approach their peers in order to raise awareness about the value of life where road safety is concerned. This peer education activity will be one of the phases of road safety training for young people of all ages. In particular:

1. 1. We will hold meetings at all kinds and all levels of schools on road safety, using education techniques to highlight the value of life where road safety is concerned. The meetings will be headed by local police officers who have also received psychological and teacher training, and by the “Amici per la Vita” peer education group. The training will conclude with a final event in each school.
   2. We will train teachers from the participating schools so as to provide constantly updated information to pupils.
   
   The school activity seeks to involve 20,000 people over the next three years.
   The specific issues to be dealt with during the meetings and at the final event will be as follows:
   • The consequences of consuming psychotropic substances and/or alcohol.
   • Using helmets and seat belts.
   • Driving mopeds and/or motorbikes correctly.
   • First aid.


2. Each year, we will organise a “Safety, Health and Solidarity Day”, during which young people and adults will be able to experience first-hand the consequences of a road accident, being involved in one, the various institutions that come into play, and the related health consequences. During this event, as well as the simulation of a road accident and the related consequences, the following will also be presented: blood alcohol testing devices, Autovelox [vehicle speed measurement device], vehicles used by the local police forces, the local police force helicopter, vehicles and equipment belonging to other authorities involved in road safety, Red Cross vehicles, fire service vehicles, and a mobile blood donation unit for blood donations.



3. Via our website, www.vigileamico.it, we will provide free information to all visitors on regulations and updates, as well as respond, free of charge, to specific questions asked about traffic. The website currently receives over 4,000 hits every day, including from a number of schools, which use the contents to set up road education courses in Italy and in Italian schools abroad.
   
   This training/information media, aimed at members of the public and traffic professionals, seeks to use simple language to eradicate bad habits acquired over time and correct the ambiguous information that is currently available on the matter.