Road Safety

Since the end of 2015, in cooperation with local partner organization, the Georgia Alliance for Safe Roads (GASR), Crystal Fund developed mechanisms and practices to support educational and advocacy activities which improved the quality of road safety in Georgia.

The Georgia Alliance for Safe Roads was founded in 2010 by a group of road safety professionals following the successful implementation of a USAID-funded project on seat belts, which resulted in substantial progress in the use of seat belts by drivers and passengers in Georgia, brought forward by an effective public awareness campaign and the legislation that GASR advocated for.

GASR aims to save lives as well as reduce injuries and suffering due to the road traffic accidents in Georgia. With the support of Crystal Fund and international donors, GASR promotes youth road safety education, reduction in drunk driving and pedestrian safety as well as monitors road safety trends and brings to Georgia international expertise with the objective to advocate for feasible regulatory and other solutions. GASR has built a network of public and private stakeholders, well-known public figures as well as media organizations, which support the Alliance’s public awareness and advocacy efforts.

In 2017, Crystal Fund supported a large-scale advocacy campaign on the points system, speeding, drunk driving and violation of traffic rules, which was led by the Georgia Alliance of Safe Roads as well as its active cooperation with the Parliament of Georgia and Ministry of Internal Affairs, resulting in the amendments in the Law on Traffic of Georgia that caused a significant decrease of car accidents by 12% and number of people injured by 10%.

Among other successfully implemented projects are:

• Don’t Drink and Drive campaign, funded by the US Embassy in Georgia;
• Pedestrian Safety and Reflector Promotion in Georgia, based on the Estonian Example, funded by NPO Trafficprof;
• EU Experience on Pedestrian Safety, funded by the European Commission’s project Strengthening Non-State Actor’s Capacities to Promote and Increase Public Accountability;
• Advocating and Educating for Pedestrian Safety in Tbilisi, funded by the US Embassy in Georgia;
• Raising Awareness of Road Safety through Introducing Mobile Traffic Grounds to Georgian Schools and Kindergartens, funded by the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
• Effective Policy Solutions for Safer Roads in Georgia, funded by the USAID | East West Management Institute (EWMI);
• Child Car Seats Save Lives! funded by the US Embassy in Georgia;
• Monitoring of the Periodic Technical Inspection of Vehicles, in the framework of the USAID | EWMI project – Advancing CSO Capacities and Engaging Society for Sustainability (ACCESS).

Since 2018, with support of Crystal Fund, the Georgia Alliance for Safe Roads is a member of the Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety. The Global Alliance and its member NGOs are at the forefront of the global effort to save lives on the roads, leading projects and campaigns, working with communities and government and advocating for road safety policies.

For more information please visit the web page of Georgia Alliance for Safe Roads: http://roadsafety.ge