Alumni Spotlight: Tatiana Mihailova & Virginia Mandalac, Moldova

Alumni Spotlight

DRSC alumni in Moldova celebrate national policy change for a safer road system

The Automobile Club of Moldova successfully advocates for national speed limit reductions.

Through DRSC we learned how to improve road safety based on a Safe System approach and the importance of engaging all stakeholders when advocating for change. Our approach at ACM uses this learning. Our campaign involved children, teachers, parents, police, cyclists, civic activists, celebrities, journalists, officials at both national and local levels to extend our advocacy message as widely as we could…

In September 2022, DRSC alumni Tatiana Mihailova (2012) and Virginia Mandalac (2014) both representing the Automobile Club of Moldova (ACM) celebrated an advocacy win as the Cabinet of Ministers of Moldova approved a series of amendments to improve the national Road Traffic Regulations with the aim of implementing a safer road system.

The amendments include a reduction of speed limits to 30km/h around “areas with increased flow of vulnerable traffic users”, including school zones and roads around hospitals, parks, and historic landmarks, as well as important updates around segregated cycle lanes, clarity in road rules for overtaking cyclists, and for the first time, guidance on using electric scooters.

The amendments follow a 2-year advocacy campaign led by the ACM, supported by the Eastern Alliance for Safe and Sustainable Transport (EASST) through the FIA Foundation’s Advocacy Hub. The aim of the campaign was to reduce speed related road crashes and casualties around schools by securing a commitment to mandatory 30 km/h speed limits.

The ACM’s advocacy efforts involved city authorities and community groups, through which they gained support from the Municipal Transport Department and Mayor’s Office as well as 15 national civil society organisations, representing different sectors, who signed a petition calling for slower speeds.

In October, Tatiana also shared her experiences with staff members of other FIA Clubs as part of a new DRSC training programme on road safety commissioned by FIA Mobility in cooperation with the FIA Foundation.

I would like to mention that political support and political will are of significant importance in addressing a social issue, in particular. The key to success in achieving a desired goal depends considerably on whether you managed to “ally” with supporters of the idea in the field of politics. Politicians are the ones who can either encourage or hinder any of the initiatives. And the art of involving political influence, by explaining the benefits for them and why they should approach the desired topic is what we were taught during the courses.