Global Youth Coalition Member Feature: Nikola Ćopić

1. Where are you connected right now? Tell us about the work you're doing.
I am currently based in Banja Luka, Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. At the moment, I work as the Chief of Road Safety Sector in a Public Company called the “Republic of Srpska Motorways” Ltd. where I deal with transport infrastructure development and road safety of highways and motorways within the country.

I work as a licensed lecturer and examiner of the theoretical part of the exam on knowledge of road traffic regulations at the Institute for Adult Education of the Republic of Srpska in the Examination Center "Banja Luka". I am also a member of the Coordination Group for Traffic Safety of the Republic of Srpska which is the main legal body for road safety in my country.

Last year I established a non-profit and non-governmental organization called “Concept 7” which implements projects in the field of road safety. At the moment, I am leading several programs with the aim to vividly point out the problems that arise due to inadequate use of seat belts, driving under the influence of alcohol and psychoactive substances, and speeding.

2.  How did you first get involved in road safety and how long have you been working in the road safety and sustainable mobility field? 
During my undergraduate studies in transportation Engineering at the Faculty of Technical Sciences at the University of Novi Sad, I got involved in the field of road safety, urban mobility, intersection improvement, and green mobility.

Later on, I worked at the Ministry of Transport and Communications of the Republic of Srpska with the main focus on road safety through active fieldwork and drafting regulations. After several years, I decided to broaden my knowledge in this field so I finished my Master’s studies researching the network screening process. I am currently a Ph.D. candidate at the Faculty of Technical Sciences at Novi Sad, researching the model for the identification of hotspots on traffic networks in my country. I’ve been working in the road safety sector for 6 years now.

 

3. Can you tell us a little bit about the road safety and sustainable mobility situation in your area? 
In Republika Srpska, the road infrastructure consists of 106 kilometers of highways, over 4,200 kilometers of regional roads, and over 6,030 kilometers of local roads and streets in the settlement. As of 31.12.2020. 420,335 vehicles were registered in the Republic of Srpska. The average age of the vehicles was 17.5 years, and 58,362 vehicles were assessed as defective during the inspection.

The Republika Srpska, together with other member states of the United Nations adopted a number of resolutions of the UN Assembly on traffic safety, among which is especially current Resolution A/RES/ 64/255, dated May 10, 2010. This resolution establishes the UN document - Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020. years. The World Health Organization has prepared and adopted the Global Plan of the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020. a year and that plan determined five pillars of traffic safety. Republika Srpska, ie Bosnia and Herzegovina is a signatory to the Moscow Declaration on Traffic Safety (Moscow, 2009), which pledged to support international measures to reduce traffic accidents, focusing on the five most important pillars.

On May 30, 2013, the National Assembly of the Republika Srpska adopted the Strategy for Traffic Safety on the Roads of the Republika Srpska for the period 2013-2022. As the Law on Traffic Safety on the Roads of the Republika Srpska stipulates that the Government of the Republika Srpska adopts the Program of Traffic Safety on the Roads of the Republika Srpska for a period of five years. In 2019, the Government of the Republika Srpska adopted the Program of Traffic Safety on the Roads of the Republika Srpska 2019-2022.

Reducing the number of fatalities on the roads in the Republic of Srpska by 50% by 2022 compared to the number of fatalities in 2011, and reducing the total socio-economic costs of traffic accidents, in a period of ten years, by about 582 million KM are the ultimate goals which are planned to be realized by initiating and strengthening existing resources and building new capacities which, with strong political support and leadership, will use a systematic approach based on the five pillars of traffic safety established by the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020. work continuously in order to reduce the risk of participation in traffic, and especially work in the areas of traffic safety management systems, safer roads and traffic, safer vehicles, safer road users, and medical care after accidents.

The total number of traffic accidents in the Republic of Srpska decreased by (3%) compared to the reference year 2011, by 11% compared to 2019, and by 12.5% compared to 2018, so it can be stated that a trend of reducing the number of traffic accidents has been established.

4. Why do you think it's important to include young people in local and global road safety efforts?
Education, in addition to infrastructure investments and improved road safety legislation and enforcement, is a vital component to ensure safer journeys for all. Education at an early age especially in preschools and elementary schools and informal knowledge about road safety can teach youth basic road skills. It can focus on examples and scenarios that children can relate to in their daily lives, providing them with practical skills and knowledge to stay safe on the roads on their journeys to school and/or home. This will improve the level of road safety for all and that is why it is important to involve as many young people in local and global road safety efforts as possible.  

5. Why did you join the Global Youth Coalition for Road Safety? 
I joined the Youth Coalition to represent Concept7's Committee. As I did research, I found out that there was a lack of Eastern European youth involved Global Youth Coalition for Road Safety. Therefore, Board members of our association decided to join the Youth Coalition and collaborate with like-minded individuals to improve road safety in our country and others globally and to be the voice of Eastern Europe in the Global Youth Coalition for Road Safety.

 

6.  What are your comments on the Coalition? Its activities? Its opportunities? 
As a new member I haven’t been yet involved in activities of the Global Youth Coalition but I am looking forward to sharing my experiences and resources with members of the Youth Coalition and vice versa!

7. Any messages for people who have not yet joined the coalition?
As the famous quote says – “The one who plants trees, knowing that he will never sit in their shade, has at least started to understand the meaning of life” – the same goes for road safety because our duty is to take action and claim our space at the decision-making table for safe and sustainable mobility for ours and generations that are yet to come, so come and join us and let’s make a change together!