The role of awareness campaigns in reducing traffic accidents among Libyan youth

الملخص

The study aimed to identify the role of awareness campaigns in reducing traffic accidents among Libyan youth. This was achieved by identifying the most prominent characteristics and distinguishing features of traffic awareness campaigns targeting youth in the Libyan context. It also sought to determine the extent to which the content of traffic awareness campaigns aligns with the psychological and behavioral characteristics of youth in Libya. It also assessed the effectiveness of current awareness campaigns in reducing traffic accidents among youth. Finally, it identified the most prominent theoretical and operational challenges facing traffic awareness campaigns in Libya, which impact their ability to modify youth traffic behavior. The descriptive approach was adopted to suit the study's purposes. The study reached the following conclusions: -Traffic awareness campaigns in Libya are characterized by traditional characteristics and a lack of group specialization. They use outdated media tools that do not take into account the interests or preferred media of youth, limiting their impact in attracting them or influencing their behavior. - Awareness content is not adequately aligned with the psychological and behavioral characteristics of young people. It is presented in a traditional, non-interactive style and lacks messages designed according to social psychology models, leading to a gap between the message and the audience.

• The effectiveness of current campaigns in reducing traffic accidents among young people remains weak due to the lack of evaluation tools, the continued high rate of accidents, and the failure to link awareness to practical measures such as traffic control and enforcement.
• Campaigns face significant theoretical and operational challenges, including the absence of a unified strategy, weak funding, fragile infrastructure, and a lack of coordination among relevant stakeholders, which weakens their ability to effect real behavioral change among young people.
• Traffic accidents in Libya remain high, with injuries constituting the largest proportion of victims in recent years.