Road traffic crashes are said to be the leading cause of death for young people aged 15-29.

To help reverse the trend young leaders from across the world are claiming their space in the global road safety agenda in preparation for a United Nations High-Level Meeting on Road Safety taking place in June 2022.

Youth for Road Safety (YOURS) and its Global Youth Coalition, with the support of Total Energies Foundation, has launched a new arts campaign entitled: #ClaimingOurSpace.

Using arts and creativity, young artists from six countries will capture the voices of young leaders in road safety and produce six artworks.

The project will culminate in a youth-led arts exhibition at the United Nations headquarters in NYC.

Data from the World Health Organization has revealed that of 1.35 million road-related deaths recorded worldwide annually, young people aged 15-29 make up more than 300,000 of the total number.

“Giving a voice to young people and allowing them to unite around the issue of road safety is key to offering them a future on safe roads and illustrates the “strength of solidarity” that we have inscribed in our values,” said Bruno Courme, TotalEnergies Corporate Foundation’s director.

The campaign is focused on six countries: Argentina, Brazil, India, Jordan, Nigeria, and South Africa. The result of their artistic work will be exhibited during the upcoming United Nations High-Level Meeting on Road Safety starting on 30 June 2022.

The #ClaimingOurSpace campaign will run from April to July 2022 and is supported by WHO and the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety.