BY BANELE MAGONGO
MBABANE – Leveraging the media can be an effective means of disseminating road accident prevention content.
This was shared by Dumisa Dlamini from Accident Prevention and Public Education(APE) at the Sincephetelo Motor Vehicle Accident Fund (SMVAF) at Happy Valley Hotel. Dlamini was speaking during the 2nd day of the Road Injury Prevention Indaba 2024.
During the first session of the Indaba, moderator Mbongeni Mbingo challenged panelists from countries such as South Africa and Botswana to share their insights on effective strategies for disseminating information about road safety to the public.
Responding to the moderator’s query about the country’s efforts to educate people on road safety via the media, APE’s manager Dumisa Dlamini noted that the efforts were both sufficient and insufficient. He explained that while the media could not directly influence people’s behavior, the focus should be on addressing the specific issues that arise from their behavior. He posited that all accidents occur due to either an omission or commission error and that road users must remain attentive and focused on their actions to prevent accidents.
The panelist from South Africa’s RAF emphasized that it is essential for the organization to take charge of its messaging to effectively communicate accident prevention educational content. He suggested that the strategy that has proven successful for the RAF is to allocate sufficient resources for advertising and marketing, including leveraging mainstream media channels and events with high audience reach. By telling their own story through these mediums, the RAF is able to ensure that the message is communicated accurately and with impact, reaching a larger audience to promote road safety awareness.
