”Trauma prevention and child safety in road traffic” national campaign, 4th edition

The Department of Preventive Medicine of Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, in partnership with the National Public Security Inspectorate and the World Health Organization (WHO), is carrying out the national campaign entitled "Trauma prevention and child safety in road traffic", between November 16-30, 2025. The event, now in its 4th edition, aims to prevent road injuries among children and promote traffic safety.

The campaign was launched at Mihail Sadoveanu Theoretical High School in Hincesti and at ATLETMED National Center for Sports Medicine in Chisinau on November 24. All primary school students were informed about the rules on the road and their obligations as pedestrians when crossing the street. The children received a night-time lighting element, a bookmark and an infographic with the basic road rules. The students were also tasked with passing on the information and knowledge they had acquired to their parents and discussing these rules with them. 

This year, the campaign also included a practical component of monitoring pedestrian behavior, carried out with the participation of students from the integrated Medicine study program of Nicolae Testemitanu University. Over the course of 30 minutes, the medical students monitored 10 pedestrian crossings on Nicolae Testemitanu Street, on the section between Virlan and Grenoble streets in the capital. According to the methodology used in the observational study, the students recorded pedestrian behavior, noting aspects such as ensuring before crossing, using the phone, crossing at green or red traffic lights, suddenly entering the crossing, as well as situations in which children crossed the street without being accompanied by an adult. The observers also monitored the reactions of drivers near the pedestrian crossings: stopping, reducing speed or not giving priority. The results of the study will be published in the coming period and will contribute to a clearer understanding of pedestrian behavior in traffic, to plan further education and prevention actions.

Practical activities were also carried out by primary school students from Mihail Sadoveanu Theoretical High School in Hincesti town, who became acquainted with the main road signs and participated in interactive exercises on how to cross a street safely and the responsible behavior of pedestrians. The activity had the role of consolidating theoretical knowledge and forming safe practical skills from an early age. 

The information materials were developed by the team of the Department of Preventive Medicine of Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy in partnership with INSP, WHO and the Automobile Club of Moldova and aim to disseminate information to prevent road injuries among children and promote traffic safety. 

This campaign is part of the implementation of the Global Road Safety Plan and the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030, according to which the Republic of Moldova has committed to reducing the rate of deaths caused by road accidents and injuries by 50% by 2030. At the same time, annually, on the third Sunday of November, the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims is celebrated, which emphasizes the need to promote safety and increase the responsibility of all road users. 

The event is organized with the support of WHO within the framework of the international project "iCREATE 2: Enhancing research capacity in injury prevention in Eastern Europe" (no. 5D43TW007261) funded by the US National Institutes of Health, which aims to increase research and injury prevention capacity in developing countries: Armenia, Georgia and the Republic of Moldova.