Youth of São Paulo Lead the Way in Road Safety Innovation
The State of São Paulo is taking bold steps in road safety by creating Brazil’s first state-level road safety actions. This important initiative, led by the Departamento Estadual de Trânsito de São Paulo (Detran-SP), could inspire other states to follow and help reduce traffic fatalities while meeting national and global road safety goals.
YOURS – Youth for Road Safety is proud to be a technical advisor for this project, ensuring young voices are heard loud and clear. At the core of this effort is the State Traffic System (Sistran), a new framework to promote and coordinate road safety actions. This project, carried out in partnership between Detran-SP, Bloomberg Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS), UNICEF, and Vital Strategies, highlights how important young people’s input is to creating safer urban environments.
Young people are a big part of this plan, with their ideas and experiences driving real change. Detran-SP is connecting with youth through three main ways:
Online Awareness and Engagement: A digital platform to share information and connect young people with the road safety movement.
Interactive Survey: A way to gather feedback, stories, and suggestions directly from youth.
Workshops: Fun and interactive sessions where young people discuss road safety issues and develop solutions.
As a technical advisor, YOURS works with Cidade Ativa and Vital Strategies to make workshops more engaging and inclusive. These sessions help young people see how their everyday experiences can shape better road safety policies and infrastructure. By working together across different sectors, we can create safer, healthier cities for everyone.
Victor Ramos, a doctor specialising in human mobility and a member of the Associação Brasileira de Medicina do Tráfego, shared his thoughts on the workshops: “Working with Vital Strategies at their local workshop was a great learning experience. Listening to students share their challenges was very enriching. The activities inspired them to come up with their ideas for solutions in a light and fun way. The workshop model was both educational and enjoyable, making it an effective strategy for teaching road safety.”
Michelle Gaibor, Regional Leader for Latin America in the Global Youth Coalition for Road Safety and a representative of the Movidana Foundation in Ecuador, emphasised why young people need to take action: “Our cities need us. As young people, our daily experiences walking and using public transportation give us a unique perspective essential for shaping urban policies. It’s time to step out of social media and engage directly with our authorities—sharing our ideas, offering solutions, and making change happen. If you get an opportunity, take it! We are not just the future; we are the present.”
The involvement of young people in shaping São Paulo’s Road Safety Plan shows what’s possible when youth take the lead. Their energy, ideas, and creativity are making a real difference, helping to create safer, more sustainable cities.
“By engaging young people from diverse backgrounds, the workshops played a strategic role in capturing a wide range of perspectives, facilitating the exchange of experiences and ideas across regions,” shared Rafaella Basile, Safer Streets and Mobility Coordinator from BIGRS. “This collaborative effort can contribute to shaping a more inclusive and effective state road safety agenda.”
YOURS is committed to supporting young people and ensuring their voices shape the future of road safety. The work in São Paulo is a powerful example: your voice matters, and together, we can make a change.
