A national campaign targeting families with children has started today to increase awareness of the risks of traffic accidents and improve children's safety. The campaign was launched with the concerted effort of the Moldovan-Swiss project REPEMOL, the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Health, IPN reports.

Project manager Silvia Morgoci told a news conference held on this occasion that the campaign will aim to diminish accidents involving children, and its necessity results from alarming statistics which show that a large number of children become victims of road accidents.

Acting Interior Minister Serghei Diaconu stressed that the activities implemented in partnership with civil society have demonstrated their efficiency. In the last few years, the number of road casualties decreased by 30%, and the number of children who died dropped from an average 50 to 19 this year.

Simone Giger, Director of the Swiss Cooperation Office, said accidents involving children are a problem that needs particular attention from society, and that behaviors and attitudes in this respect can only be changed through better information and communication.

Natalia Dinu, communication adviser with REPEMOL, presented the results of a research about children's safety in traffic. It indicated a high degree of neglect on the part of the adults for the Traffic Rules concerning children. For example, the study showed that most children are never attended by an adult when they cross on average two roads on their way to school. Also, only one in four families uses a special car seat to keep the children safe in traffic.

Mirela Mustata, the Project's international adviser, said the campaign will aim to improve by 10% the level of knowledge, attitudes and practices among families with children.

The campaign will run throughout November 2017 with the financial support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.