Janashakthi launches global campaign “Make Roads Safe” with celebrated actress Michelle Yeoh

Janashakthi joined forces with the United Nations, Ceylon Motor Sports Club (CMS) and the global governing body for motor sports and road safety, the Federation Internationale de I’Automobile (FIA) - UK to launch the global campaign — a Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011- 2020 in Sri Lanka.

The event was launched in the presence of renowned Academy Award winning Malaysian actor and brand ambassador Michelle Yeoh and FIA President and former Head of motor sport at Ferrari, Jean Todt.

The ‘Make Roads Safe’ campaign is coordinated by the FIA Foundation (UK), whose members have played a pivotal role in driving the campaign forward and making the decade a reality. The FIA Foundation will work in close association with Janashakthi and the Ceylon Motor Sports Club in Sri Lanka to focus on taking necessary measures to significantly reduce deaths and injuries caused by road accidents. Janashakthi’s Head of Marketing Paddy Weerasekera said, “As an insurance company we have always been concerned about safety. Our past media campaigns focused on building awareness about road safety, covering key areas such as driving under the influence of alcohol, speeding, the importance of wearing seatbelts, the use of mobile phones while driving, child safety and related factors. We are happy to be part of a global initiative and hope to further bring about awareness of this topic in the years to come.”

“Janashakthi has always been a part of the Ceylon Motor Sports Club for many years and has supported many initiatives in the past. A CSR project of this nature is made possible only with the assistance of corporates such as Janashakthi coming forward to extend their full support, and we aim to host a series of activities in the coming months in relation to the programme,” states Niroshan Pereira, President of the Ceylon Motor Sports Club. Globally renowned Sri Lankan GT race car driver Dilantha Malagamuwa graced the event and pasted the first sticker to kick start the campaign.

Statistics reveal that fatal accidents take place every six seconds on the world’s roads, with nine in 10 road deaths and injuries occurring in developing countries. Research in India and Bangladesh has shown that at least half of families affected by a road death or serious injury fall below the poverty line, with the economic cost to such developing countries estimated by the World Bank at up to US $100 billion annually. According to UNICEF and the WHO, 260,000 children die and another 10 million are injured in road crashes each year, and it has been predicted that by 2015, the leading cause of premature death and disability in developing countries as a result of road accidents will affect children aged five and above.

Since the launch of Decade of Action for Road Safety campaign in 2006, the FIA Foundation has campaigned for and achieved success to host the first ever Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety, resulting in the implementation of this campaign. During this Decade of Action the Foundation will continue to involve a broad-based coalition consisting of political stakeholders, public health bodies, industry leaders, motoring organisations and other international organisations to prioritise road safety.

The goal of the campaign will focus on improving existing road design and place emphasis on pedestrian safety, safer vehicles, motorcycle helmets, seat belts, action on drink-driving, driver training, licensing and tackling speed — measures which seek to decrease the amount of road deaths. The campaign seeks to advocate the policy recommendations of the Commission for Global Road Safety and the 2004 World Report on road traffic injury prevention.

Global Ambassador for the ‘Make Roads Safe’ campaign and one of Asia’s most celebrated actors, Michelle Yeoh, whose global hits include movies from the James Bond franchise Tomorrow Never Dies, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Memoirs of a Geisha, Sunshine, Mummy 3 and Babylon AD, states that in her role as global ambassador for this venture, she advocates for road injury to be recognised as a global public health and development priority. “I am delighted to see the Make Roads Safe campaign being launched in Sri Lanka. There is much more work to be done in all parts of Asia, starting from simple things like wearing a seatbelt.

I am delighted to see that Janashakthi has stepped forward to take this message to the whole country, and I am sure that many activities will take place henceforth in order to drive home awareness about road safety.”

Janashakthi Insurance Plc, which exercises its social responsibilities as a corporate entity has, over the years, funded programmes for the safety of people at pedestrian crossings, free vehicle breakdown service for national events, tsunami aid programmes, safe bottle lamp projects, dengue prevention, AH1 N1 prevention programmes, signage for hospitals, mobil hospitals for rural areas, sports sponsorships including sports such as athletics, hockey, cricket, sailing, rowing, golf, squash and many more sporting activities, and is one of the highest contributors to a number of sports in Sri Lanka.

Good corporate governance has established the image of the company as a socially responsible entity delivering greater and consistent value to customers, employees, shareholders and the country at large during the 16 years of its service to the nation.