Under this slogan a community campaign has been launched in Płock to improve safety for hard-to-see participants in road traffic.

The campaign, whose principal coordinator is the City Police Headquarters in Płock, is being participated in by organizations that have similar goals. Our foundation could not be left out of that group, especially as it has conducted public safety activities, including safety for participants in road traffic, particularly children, some of them jointly with Płock’s City Police Headquarters. In 2008 several dozen children were invited to ORLEN, where in the course of playing, they were taught the rules of behaviour on and around the street. They were helped in this by an experienced Police officer. In 2009 the foundation financed a coloring book prepared by the Police with educational materials for children – well thought-out scenes whose content showed how to behave in difficult situations. In every case of need, the foundation has sent reflective clothing to the Police and other institutions (schools, preschools).

Entering into the present campaign, we offered to share our previous experiences and declared that we would take part in the new projects. And everything points to there being a lot of them and that they’ll be very interesting. There was discussion of them during the press conference on the 30th of December, 2009.

Journalists were invited to the City Police Headquarters, where they met with the organizers of the campaign, representing many different organizations and professions, all with one thing in common: to make the streets of Płock friendlier for the least visible people in traffic — pedestrians.

The importance of activities to reduce the number of victims and injuries in traffic cannot be overestimated. The participants of the conference spoke about this. The police officers on hand pointed out how much there is to be done, including the Commandant of city Police Jarosław Brach and Assistant Commander of the traffic division Zbigniew Kopczyński, who presented among other things the statistics of fatalities and injuries from the past few years. The participants in the conference and members of the new coalition to improve safety on the streets and roads of Płock shared their experiences of similar actions and ideas for the current campaign. The organizers appealed to the members of the press to take an active role in the campaign. The reaction was positive and immediate. From the discussion with the representatives of the media new ideas for action emerged.

During the press conference the announcement of the first concrete activities took place. Their slogan for action is: “Be visible!”

Thanks to the small supply of reflective strips at the Foundation, on New Years the first distribution effort to the residents of Płock will take place. The director of the Płock Culture and Sport Centre assured that during the New Years Eve Ball, artists and a Master of Ceremonies will appear wearing reflective strips, and will discuss their importance. Reflective strips will also be handed out in front of the City Hall to the residents of Płock. The “Fashion for reflectors” will continue during the Great Orchestra of Holiday Help. The head of the Płock staff of the Great Orchestra of Holiday Help promised that 300 volunteers will shine with reflectors while collecting coins in their containers; but they will also hand them out.

That’s for starters, but the campaign is projected to continue for several years. The organisers promised to work on activities over the coming periods. We will be taking part in them and informing the public continually about the results of the campaign.

Eugeniusz Kowalczyk
31 December, 2009