SAFETY officers and representatives of various industrial and manufacturing plants, hospitals, schools and private companies adopted the Project C.A.R.E.S. Declaration of Support for Road Safety & Injury Prevention program.

The adoption was made during the second general members meeting of the Safety Organization of Negros Occidental (Sono) Inc., an affiliate of the Association of Safety Practitioners of the Phils. Inc. at the Grand Regal Hotel last June 25.

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They committed themselves and their respective offices “to espouse all means of education and advocacy activities that will enhance the appreciation for accident and injury prevention by all stakeholders of the road and traffic system; raise awareness about the societal impact and costs of road traffic injuries; promote action around key factors which have major impact on preventing road traffic injuries - helmets, seat belts, drunk driving, speeding and infrastructure and; highlight the fact that improving road safety does not happen by accident but requires deliberate efforts on the part of many sectors of society - government and non-government alike.”

Sono president Ramon Arangote (Pargan Industrial Ent.) briefly presented the objectives of Project C.A.R.E.S. road traffic safety program. He also led the signing.

The signing was witnessed by Project C.A.R.E.S. volunteer Kenneth Pascual. The signatories are expected to start in helping campaign and undertake similar road safety and injury prevention awareness efforts in their respective companies and organizations.

The Project C.A.R.E.S. Declaration of Support for Road Safety & Injury Prevention program is a collaboration of the Negros Occidental provincial government, Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office, Department of Education & Special Education, and the Girl Scouts of the Philippines launched early this year.

It aims to raise at least 10,000 signatures of people by year 2010, especially Negrenses, who have become socially aware of their role as roads and streets stakeholders and who have pledged to heed the global call to take positive action regarding road safety to bring down road casualties and deaths.

The World Health Organization (WHO) global status report released last June 15 reported that in 2004, road traffic injuries was the leading cause of death among people aged 15-29 years old, second among those aged 5-14 years old and third among 30-44 years old. WHO predicted that road traffic injuries will become the fifth leading cause of death by year 2030.

Individual, companies and families of road crash victims and survivors interested to adopt the road traffic safety and injury prevention program may contact Project C.A.R.E.S. c/o May Altarejos-Cueva at telephone numbers 433-9064 or 455-0234 or celfone number (0916) 453-1908. 

Reference materials and information from WHO may also be requested by email thru maycueva_cares@yahoo.com. Online volunteer registration may be sent through website
. (Press release)