By Nathania Faline Sugianto
“Every person has their own excuse for why they don’t use a seat belt. They might say, ‘I’m only a few meters from my destination,’ or ‘it feels uncomfortable’,” said Dewi Chotijah, Head of Education and Changes, Bandung Police Traffic Unit.
In many countries, this way of thinking is common. Many people don’t believe seat belts are necessary. And while the excuses may always be a challenge, thousands of injuries and deaths are determined by a single decision: buckle the seat belt or not.
To change people’s attitudes and behaviors around seat belt use, the city of Bandung, Indonesia, and the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS) launched the latest #KlikBiarSelamat (Click for Safety) campaign, focusing on the importance of seat belt use by all vehicle occupants. The campaign marks Bandung’s second as part of BIGRS, after the first addressed proper helmet use in June 2016.
#KlikBiarSelamat launched on Nov. 7, in the Bandung City Hall Auditorium. The BIGRS Bandung team coordinated social media efforts for the launch, hoping to help #KlikBiarSelamat go viraI, using data to craft tweets for launch day. #KlikBiarSelamat competed well with other topics, generating national buzz and a larger conversation about seat belt use on social media.
During the launch’s opening ceremony, several high-level officials from the city government and partner organizations delivered opening remarks. Hery Antasari, Head of the City Planning and Research Development Department, opened the launch with a report on road safety activity in Bandung. Grant Ennis, Vital Strategies’ Regional Deputy Director for Asia, continued by expressing his support and excitement for this much-needed campaign to increase seat belt use.
The ‘Klik Biar Selamat’ public service announcement (PSA) was then revealed, accompanied by a video from Mayor Ridwan Kamil supporting the campaign and encouraging people to buckle up. Prior to running the ad, Bandung’s Deputy of Governance and People’s Welfare, Kamalia Purbani, aimed a car key alarm at the screen and, with the press of a button, officially launched the PSA.
The ad ran in Bandung on local TV and radio through November.
Many community groups showed their support and enthusiasm for the campaign. Citizen Journalism Interdependent produced a video about the campaign, while Bandung Disiplin and the Bandung chapter of Avanza Xenia Indonesia Club (AXIC) – the biggest car community in Indonesia – showed their enthusiasm by asking questions during a session where Kamalia Purbani, Hery Antasari, and Dewi Chotijah interacted with attendees and media, showing how collaboration and integration between government and the public is key to a successful campaign.
Key representatives then moved outside to attach a #KlikBiarSelamat sticker on a car as a symbol of the launch.
Mobilizing the Community
On the weekend following the launch, AXIC Bandung organized a car parade, using 16 cars to display the slogan #KlikBiarSelamat from above with roof stickers. The parade received tremendous media coverage and support from the community, appearing on CNN Indonesia, helping to spotlight the campaign.
“I salute the members’ commitment,” said Rena Andikalembay of AXIC. “The night before we stayed up to attach the stickers until 2 a.m., and at 5 a.m. we were already gathered again, ready for the car parade.”
The chairman of AXIC, Rury Renwarin said: “From this campaign we hope people, especially in Bandung, always remember to fasten their seat belt, reducing fatal risks or injuries in crashes.”
