The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, Inc. (JAMA) is pleased to announce the conduct of its annual autumn road safety campaign from September 21 through December 31, 2019. The campaign’s launch date coincides with that of the Japanese government’s nationwide autumn traffic safety campaign (September 21-30) carried out by the National Police Agency.

Between January 1 and July 31 this year, there were a total of 218,543 road accidents in Japan—28,038 fewer, or down 11.4%, compared with the same period of the previous year. Road fatalities totalled 1,647—236 fewer, or down 12.5%, compared with the same period of 2018.

Annually from October to year’s end, there is a large increase in the number of road fatalities occurring during twilight hours. Road users—drivers, riders, and pedestrians—must be informed of this reality and encouraged to practice safe road use at all times, with particular vigilance during the hours after sundown.

Japan’s 10th Basic Plan for Road Safety, in effect from fiscal 2016 through fiscal 2020 (ending March 31, 2021), calls for a reduction in the annual number of road fatalities to 2,500 or fewer by 2020, thereby making road transport in Japan the safest in the world. In full support of those goals, JAMA will continue to push for safer motoring conditions nationwide by promoting expanded vehicle-based safety measures and by implementing road user-directed safety measures, including the conduct of its twice-yearly (in spring and autumn) road safety campaigns.

Theme and Promotional Image for JAMA’s 2019 Autumn Road Safety Campaign

Campaign theme: Headlights – High Beams – Reflective Materials
Campaign duration: September 21-December 31, 2019

Rationale Behind the Choice of Campaign Theme

The campaign seeks to ensure that road safety awareness is translated into specific measures being taken by road users on a daily basis as a matter of simple routine. To that end, the campaign theme adopted by JAMA, which was formulated with the support of the Japanese Association of Traffic Psychology, is intended, in its original Japanese, to serve as a mnemonic device, or a kind of good-luck mantra, for the easy and effective retention of its three-point message.

Content of JAMA’s 2019 Autumn Road Safety Campaign

• For drivers: Early use of headlights at dusk and use of high-beam lights whenever appropriate
  The number of road fatalities involving vehicles and pedestrians and occurring during twilight hours in autumn and winter is significantly greater than in spring and summer, and also much greater than during the day—by about four times.^*1 Research also indicates that more than 50% of road fatalities involving vehicles and pedestrians and occurring at night could possibly have been avoided with the use of high-beam headlights.^*2 The campaign will therefore urge motorists to turn on their headlights early at dusk and use their high-beam headlights whenever appropriate.
• For elderly pedestrians: Caution when crossing roads and wearing of reflective materials after daylight hours
  The number of elderly pedestrian road fatalities is approximately 1.7-times greater at night than during the day.^*3 The campaign will therefore encourage elderly pedestrians to be attentive to their safety when crossing roads and to wear reflective materials after daylight hours.
• For motorcycle riders: Proper wearing of helmets and use of chest protectors
  Approximately 70% of motorcycle fatalities occur as a result of primary injuries to the head or chest and in over 30% of such fatalities, riders lost their helmets on collision impact.^*4 In order to reduce the risk of motorcycle fatalities, the campaign will therefore encourage motorcycle and moped riders to fasten their helmet chinstraps securely and wear life-saving chest protectors when riding.

  ^*1 Source: National Police Agency (2018 data);
  ^*2 Source: National Police Agency (2017 data);
  ^*3 Source: National Police Agency (2018 data);
  ^*4 Source: National Police Agency (2018 data)

Campaign Duration / Content / Messages (Summary)

Duration	September 21 through December 31, 2019
Content	To help prevent vehicle-pedestrian road fatalities: – Appeals to drivers to turn on their headlights early at dusk and use their high-beam headlights whenever appropriate – Appeals to elderly pedestrians to wear reflective materials after dusk To help prevent motorcycle rider fatalities: – Appeals to riders to always fasten their helmet chinstraps securely and wear chest protectors
Messages	Headlights – High Beams – Reflective Materials – For drivers: “Turn on your headlights early at dusk.”; Be attentive to oncoming vehicles and “Use your high-beam headlights whenever appropriate.” – For pedestrians: “Wear reflective materials after daylight hours.”

Communication Strategies

• Distribution of a campaign video to the media listed below. Featuring Kanako Yanagihara, a media personality popular with people of all ages who takes on the role of a “road safety good fairy,” the video will promote the messages of JAMA’s 2019 autumn road safety campaign by calling on drivers to turn on their headlights early at dusk and use their high-beam headlights whenever appropriate, on elderly pedestrians to wear reflective materials after sundown, and on motorcycle riders to fasten their helmet chinstraps securely and wear chest protectors.

YouTube	The video will be accessible on YouTube.
Radio	The video’s soundtrack will be featured in radio spots broadcast on Nippon Broadcasting Group networks Monday through Friday from October 1 through October 31.
Campaign website	Access to the video and to data related to the campaign’s messages will be provided on a dedicated campaign website @ http://jama-cp-anzen.jp/. (In Japanese only.)

• Distribution of reflective materials, to promote their use by elderly persons after daylight hours, at well-frequented movie theaters in Niigata and Tochigi prefectures, where elderly pedestrian road fatalities are high in number and high as a share of prefecture-wide total road fatalities.
  (Distribution period: September 13-September 19, including Respect-for-the-Aged Day on September 16.)
• Display, on all JAMA member manufacturers’ websites and social media pages, of banners linking users to the dedicated campaign website.
  (Display period: September 21 through December 31.)

Images from the Dedicated Video for JAMA’s 2019 Autumn Road Safety Campaign