More than 3,000 high school students trained to become responsible drivers through the program “High school traffic education hour, powered by MOL”, carried out by MOL Romania, the Romanian Police and the EDIT Association
Survey Three interactive modules were developed within the program, which included educational sessions by experts from the Romanian Police, defensive driving training and first aid sessions, with the support of the Emergency Situations Inspectorate.
In the context where more than 70% of high school students want to obtain a driver's license, 3,000 students, from 15 high schools in Bucharest, Ilfov and Prahova, were trained to become responsible participants in traffic. Through the program “High school road education hour, powered by MOL”, launched by MOL Romania, together with the EDIT Association and the Romanian Police, students were able to participate in interactive workshops through which they could better understand the dangers they are exposed to in traffic, but also how to avoid or manage them.
The program was carried out between March 2023 and March 2024 as part of MOL Romania's road safety program “You drive. The family has priority!”, through which MOL aimed to increase the level of public awareness of road risks and contribute to the promotion of responsible behavior in traffic. The workshops held in high schools supported the educational initiatives carried out by the EDIT Association and the Romanian Police for the training of more traffic conscious participants.
Data shows that in 2023 alone, more than 1,500 people lost their lives in road accidents and more than 3,000 people were injured. These figures highlight the need for educational programs, especially among young people, who, according to the latest survey* carried out by the EDIT Association, seem to be more exposed to risky behavior in traffic: more than half of the respondents admit to having traveled with speeding faster than the legal limit, while nearly 4 in 10 have used their mobile phone while driving to take pictures or video.
“Through road education we can turn any journey into a pleasant experience. Thus, it is necessary to give a good start to future drivers, to ensure that they are fully aware that any deviation from the rules can have fatal consequences. Through the High School Traffic Education Hour program, organized in partnership with the EDIT Association and the Romanian Police, we gave young people access to information and concrete situations that they may encounter in their daily life in traffic, so that the roads in Romania be a safe place for all participants. We are happy with the interest the students have shown in our initiatives and we want every road they travel to be safe,” said Gábor Mozga, CEO of MOL Romania.
“From the very beginning, the objectives of the project were to cultivate a responsible attitude in traffic, so that young people learn preventive behavior even before acquiring the right to drive. Through the High School Traffic Education Hour program, we wanted to bring specialists in front of them whose messages could save their lives. For the same reason, we have emphasized the interactive component of this learning process, to ensure that each participant fully understands the risks they are exposed to when they decide to break the traffic rules, so as to ensure that more and more young people I get home safely every time. I am pleased that the message has reached over 3,000 students and I wish that at least half of them will share the acquired knowledge with their friends,” said Liviu Zorilă, President of the EDIT Association
“We believe that the Road Education Hour project helped us get closer to high school students and, on this occasion, we were able to convey essential information for adopting a cautious and responsible behavior in traffic. The police sent the necessary recommendations so that future drivers can contribute to a safe journey. Compliance with traffic rules contributes significantly to reducing road risk, to preventing tragedies on the roads, and change can start with young people,” said police chief Mădălina Moșoiu, director of the Road Directorate – Romanian Police.
Within the same initiative, an intermediate phase consisted of a study carried out by the EDIT Association, which revealed the attitude and road behavior of students in the 11th and 12th grades. The results of the study showed that most of the respondents, more than 70%, want to get a driving license, but not all of them are equally willing to follow the traffic rules. Although aware of the associated dangers, with 95.9% of participants admitting that using their phone while driving can put their lives at risk, there is still a proportion who underestimate or ignore these risks. Regarding the causes of accidents, 36% of them believe that speed is the main factor, while 27% attribute the problem to alcohol consumption. However, despite the awareness of the risks, 15.5% of those surveyed indicated that they do not rule out the possibility of driving after drinking, based on a subjective assessment of their driving ability depending on the amount consumed.
Under the umbrella of the “High School Traffic Education Hour” initiative, three modules were designed with the aim of cultivating a vigilant and responsible attitude among pre-university students. One of these modules, run by the Romanian Police, involved educational sessions on road safety, giving students a comprehensive insight into the statistics and causes of road accidents in Romania and worldwide. The second module, coordinated by experts in defensive driving, such as Adrian Grigore or Silviu Toma, addressed the topic of driving safety using interactive methods such as role-playing games and impact simulators.
The third module was dedicated to learning vital first aid maneuvers, under the guidance of experts from the Emergency Situations Inspectorate. This module emphasized the importance of rescuer safety in emergency situations and provided practical tools for proper response. The activities were completed by the distribution of an educational kit to students and teachers, contributing to the consolidation of newly acquired knowledge.
*The survey was conducted on a sample of 582 11th and 12th grade students, in the 2023-2024 school year.
High schools participating in the project:
1. Saint Sava National College
2. Jean Monnet Theoretical High School
3. Viilor Economic College
4. Nicolae Iorga Theoretical High School
5. Logos Baptist Theological High School
6. Tudor Vianu College
7. Mihai Viteazul National College
8. Ion Creanga College
9. National High School
10. Aurel Vlaicu National College
11. Iona Petruș Theoretical High School, Otopeni
12. Dumitru Dumitrescu Technological High School, Buftea
13. Traian Lalescu High School, Brănești
14. Cezar Nicolau High School, Brănești
15. IL Caragiale National College, Ploiesti
