Leveraging ICT for Road Safety
Celebrating World Telecommunication and Information Society Day
Through Art
By
Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (TATT)
LINKAGE Q3 (2023) - LEARN, EMPOWER, SUSTAIN
I nformation and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have emerged as a powerful tool in improving road safety. By harnessing the capabilities of ICTs, governments, organisations and individuals can better manage and mitigate road safety risks.
To recognise the need for focus in this area, TATT celebrated World Telecommunication and Information Society Day 2023 by hosting an art competition titled “Leveraging ICTs for Road Safety”. The competition had 61 entrants who entered 33 digital and 28 two-dimensional pieces, by artists from five to over 60 years. Each submission communicated the theme.
The Prize Giving Ceremony for the art competition was held at TATT’s Offices in Barataria on 16 September 2023, at which Deputy Chairman Dr. Kim Mallalieu said the winning pieces would be featured in TATT’s upcoming campaigns to “…heighten awareness of the need for responsible use of ICT in driving, and the role that ICT can play in reducing road injuries and fatalities.” She stressed, “What more powerful a vehicle, no pun intended, can we use to send the message than the creations of our people – young and not-so-young alike?”
Cynthia Reddock-Downes, Chief Executive Officer of TATT noted, “Art has a unique ability to transcend boundaries and connect people from all walks of life. It speaks to our emotions, imagination, and opens up new horizons. It is a universal language that allows us to communicate on a deeply profound level”.
Why ICT and Road Safety?
ICTs and road safety has been a focus of TATT’s work for over a decade. The International Telecommunications Union started advocating for ICTs in road safety in 2011, when then UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched a global initiative to increase actions to save lives on the world’s roads: the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020. In 2022, the WHO assessed that road traffic accidents cost most countries 3 percent of their gross domestic product. They reported that road traffic injuries were the leading cause of death for children and young adults aged 5–29 years, and although approximately 60 percent of the world’s vehicles can be found in low- and middle-income countries, 93 percent of the world’s fatalities occur there.
To provide a local perspective, the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service issued a media release indicating the road traffic accident death toll for 2022 was to 90 persons, compared to 74 for 2021. Of particular concern was the fact that pedestrians accounted for the largest category of road users being killed on the roadways, with 35 deaths compared to 29 deaths in 2021, a 20% increase.
Looking at these local and international figures, TATT believes there is a continuing need for action in two areas:
1) Through the appropriate use of road safety technologies, e.g. setting up and paying attention to in-vehicle alerts such as speed limit alerts
2) Discouraging the misuse of ICTs likely to affect concentration on the road.
The winning pieces can be found on TATT’s website here: Winning Submissions TATT Art Competition .