Launching the “Life on the Road” Project

LEARN! Manual Example #18

This example shows the different communication channels and methods that Prevenção Rodoviária Portuguesa (PRP) used to promote the implementation and use of their “Life on the Road” project.

Related Step

Implementation

Age Group

6 to 10 year olds

Implement. Make a communications strategy with both bottom-up and top-down approaches. Include cooperation with other actors, like communities, schools, parents, police, and others.

Mixing bottom-up and top-down approaches

A mix of top-down and bottom-up approaches was chosen in the communication strategy developed by Prevenção Rodoviária Portuguesa (PRP) to disseminate its MEOkids TV application and “Life on the Road” portal.

For the first stage, a top-down strategy was implemented, involving the Ministry of Education, the General Directorate of Education, enforcement organisations, the Road Safety National Authority, the National Parents Association, PRP Associate Members, and municipalities. All actors disseminated the activity by all means of communication available to them. Besides their dissemination efforts, generic and specialised means of communication were used for the dissemination of the initiatives (including on TV and in newspapers). A public launch event in a school with teachers and pupils performing the activities was also held in the presence of all stakeholders.

For the second stage, a bottom-up strategy was implemented. The activity was disseminated through schools and parents’ associations at national level and a wider digital dissemination strategy was implemented through social networks, newsletters, emails to schools and parents’ associations. These pedagogical activities are also disseminated during teacher training.

Promotional image used on social media.

The interactive television application

PRP cooperated together with MEOkids TV, a Portuguese television channel specially dedicated to children, to launch the interactive television application “Vida na Estrada” (“Life on the Road”), which aims to promote road safety to pupils in Grades 1 to 4 (6 to 10 year olds) through pedagogical activities.

Using a game-based learning strategy, the “Vida na Estrada” project uses games to educate the pupils, thereby attracting the younger audience. The pedagogical activities aim to promote knowledge and skills, as well as the adoption of safe behaviour and attitudes in traffic, focusing on the role of the children as passengers, pedestrians and cyclists.

For the launch of the MEOkids TV application, a ceremony at a primary school was held, which was chaired by the Minister for Internal Administration and attended by various groups related to the fields of road safety and education. During the ceremony, a demonstration of the television application was made to a class of Grade 4 pupils. The activities were widely publicised on the MEOkids TV channel through interviews with children and teachers as well as through promotional videos. A press release was then sent to media outlets, which brought additional free publicity.

Promotion at events and schools.

The project portal

PRP subsequently developed the online portal for the “Vida na Estrada” games, where adapted versions of the TV application’s games can be played by the pupils. The online portal also features additional activities and is more interactive.

The game “How Many?

Promoting Vida na Estrada

In addition to the promotional activities mentioned above, the project was also promoted in several other ways.

A playful game called “How Many?”, which contained questions on road safety
Brochures for pedestrians, passengers and cyclists, which include the main content related to the knowledge and skills to be adopted in traffic
A flyer with a description of the activities
A video presenting the project
Roll-up banners for the activity
Press releases on the launch of the project portal, sent to the media
Promotion at events, such as AutoShow, street fairs, Children’s Day, as well as road safety events in schools
Dissemination through social media platforms Facebook and Instagram.