March 22, 2016

JAMA Launches 2016 Spring Road Safety Campaign

The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) is pleased to announce that its annual spring road safety campaign will be held from April 6 through May 5 this year. The campaign dates have been set to overlap with the Japanese government’s nationwide traffic safety campaign (April 6-15) – an effort implemented by the National Police Agency.

The Japanese government finalized the nation’s 10th Fundamental Traffic Safety Program on March 11, reemphasizing its goal of making Japan’s roads the safest in the world. Toward that end, the program outlines plans to promote a wide range of road accident prevention measures based on support the understanding and cooperation of the general public, in moving to reduce the number of annual road fatalities to fewer than 2,500 persons by 2020. 

JAMA, acting in full support of these government aims, will be strengthening its own vehicle-directed safety measures, along with road user-directed safety measures including twice-yearly road safety campaigns in the spring and autumn. This is all part of the association’s sustained push for safer motoring conditions in Japan.

 

Priority Issues in JAMA 2016 Spring Road Safety Campaign

■ Rear Seatbelt Use (Targeting Passenger Vehicle Users)
The use of rear seatbelts has been compulsory in Japan since June 2008. Yet despite this, buckling of seatbelts by rear-seat occupants in passenger vehicles driving on regular roads (other than expressways) was tracked in 2015 at only 35.1%. This is far below the rates of seatbelt use by drivers (98.4%) and front-seat passengers (94.6%). These findings suggest that the rate of rear seatbelt use has not improved since it peaked in 2013. Among all fatalities occurring in 2015 while riding in passenger vehicles, 152 of those persons were in the backseat of the vehicles. Of those, 105 persons (69.1%) were not buckled up, with 32 (30.5%) of those victims thrown outside the vehicles. Based on such facts, JAMA will be making solid appeals to promote the wearing of rear seatbelts. 

■ Proper Helmet Wearing (Targeting Motorcycle Riders)
Of the 677 persons who died in Japan during 2015 while riding motorcycles, head injuries were found to be the single largest cause of death at 290 persons (42.8%). Of those 677 fatalities, although 662 (97.7%) of the riders were wearing helmets, 202 (30.5%) lost their helmets upon collision impact. In view of these findings, this JAMA Spring Road Safety Campaign will include urgent appeals to motorcycle and moped riders to always fasten their helmets securely and adopt other proper safety measures before starting off.

 

JAMA 2016 Spring Road Safety Campaign Profile

- Passenger vehicle driver and passenger directed safety appeals: Promotion of rear seatbelt use
- Motorcycle rider and passenger directed safety appeals: Promotion of proper helmet wearing


 

Campaign Overview
Period

April 6 (Wednesday) through May 5 (Thursday), 2016

Focal Themes
  • To help prevent road accident fatalities involving passenger vehicles, appeals to drivers and passengers to promote use of rear seatbelts.
  • To help prevent road accident fatalities while riding motorcycles, appeals to riders and passengers to firmly fasten chinstraps and otherwise properly wear helmets.

Slogans
  • Targeting passenger car drivers and passengers:
    “Rear seats have seatbelts too!”
  • Targeting motorcycle riders and passengers:
    “Firmly fasten your helmet chinstrap!”
Communication Strategies

- An animated video featuring “Bonobono,” the friendly sea-otter campaign mascot character, will be aired on the following media to encourage buckling of rear seatbelts in passenger vehicles and proper wearing of helmets on motorcycles.

YouTube

Distribution of the animated video.
Jumbo Outdoor Display Screens

 

Airing on 40 such large screens installed in 14 prefectures nationwide at locations of heavy vehicle and pedestrian traffic.

Expressway Service Area Information Display Screens

Airing on HDTV screens installed at around 100 service areas along the East, Central and West Japan Expressway routes.

Campaign Website

(Available only during campaign period and in Japanese)

Launching of a campaign website for use in awarding prizes to persons correctly responding to a road traffic quiz after viewing the animated video.
http://campaign.jama.or.jp/
Taxi Monitor Screens

 

Airing of the animated video on the in-vehicle monitor screens of some 5,000 taxis operating in Tokyo and Osaka.

- Road safety campaign ad placements in Bonobono Special Edition, Mangalife and other regular magazine publications.

- Banner placements on the official Bonobono website (BonoNet) and Facebook page linking to the road safety campaign website.

- Airing of the road safety campaign animated video to commemorate the Bonobono TV launch campaign (Kiddy Land Harajuku store).

 

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