With the support of the European Union and the European Investment Bank (EIB), the EU’s Bank, Georgian Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure and the Ministry of Internal Affairs launched a joint campaign called Better and safer roads for Georgia in order to raise awareness on road safety issues.

According to the EU Delegation to Georgia, car accidents are one of Georgia’s leading causes of fatalities and injuries. “Not maintaining a single lane, speeding and driving under the influence of alcohol are some significant causes of road accidents in Georgia. The safe transportation of infants and toddlers is also crucial.”

In its statement, EU Delegation mentioned that in the last two years 15,222 persons have been injured during car accidents and 879 persons died, among them 22 children,

Pawel Herczynski, Ambassador of the European Union said “it is our common responsibility to make the driving environment safer for all people living in Georgia.”

“We are building better and safer roads in Georgia together with our partners at EIB as well as in the Government. The communication campaign we are launching today can reduce road accidents in Georgia. Too many lives are being taken away every year through accidents that could have been avoided,” Pawel Herczynski stated.

Maciej Czura, the Head of the EIB Regional Representation for the South Caucasus noted that “systematically preventing deaths and serious injuries linked to road crashes is a priority of the EIB, the EU’s bank, which provides finance and expertise for investment projects worldwide.”

“Improving road infrastructure safety in Georgia has been one of our key priorities since 2007 when the bank began operating in the country. In order to achieve that, the EIB is supporting the Georgian East-West highway project with EUR 1 billion financings guaranteed by the European Union, supplemented with up to EUR 40 million of EU grants to Georgia,” Maciej Czura asserted.

The campaign with the tagline #DoNotRepeatMistake is focused on several concrete issues to raise awareness of the importance of road safety. It will show real stories of real people affected by road accidents. Outdoor banners with road safety messages will be spread throughout five cities of Georgia – Tbilisi, Khashuri, Kutaisi, Zestafoni and Batumi. This will be complemented by outreach through television, online media and social media. The goal is to reach as many drivers as possible and help them become aware of safety risks on the roads.

The road safety campaign is financed by the European Union and its bank, the European Investment Bank, within the framework of the Georgia Transport Connectivity project (GTC). The project aims to enhance Georgia’s connectivity to Europe while reinforcing the safety and quality of the road networks.