What is Luchemos por la Vida

Luchemos por la Vida ("Let's fight for life") is a non-profit organization working to improve the quality of life of whose only purpose is to help prevent traffic accidents in our country. These accidents are the cause of 20 deaths each day (more than 7,000 a year), more than 130,000 injured people each year, and terrible material losses (estimated in U$S 10 billion a year). These figures turn out to be unfortunately high for the population of the country where there are 6,800,000 circulating vehicles.
These figures are also too high when compared to those of developed countries, which have a fatality rate six to ten times lower (considering the number of circulating vehicles). In 2000, 1,126 people died in Argentina for each 1,000,000 circulating vehicles.
We know that in all developed countries there are systematic and continued efforts to reduce the number of street accidents, through campaigns designed to teach people and make them aware of this danger, as well as safety rules and appropriate laws.

Following this model, we created Luchemos por la Vida as a means to develop a new reality in traffic safety in our country.

Our main purpose: to help modify the habits of those who walk or drive on our streets every day, to be pro life, to reduce the number of dead and injured people significantly.

We understand that there are three main courses of action that need to be taken:

1. To create awareness about the risk of traffic accidents among the public.

2. To educate people so that they learn to practice some life preserving habits (simple safety rules to reduce risks).

3. To encourage the passing of appropriate laws and their enforcement.

Areas of work

1.Mass media. Ongoing campaign for public awareness and education on TV, radio, newspapers, etc., for more than five years.
2. Institutions. All school levels: pre-school, elementary, high, intermediate organizations, etc.)
3. Government. Bills of laws and regulations to be presented to the Executive and Legislative powers).
4. Research. Analysis of local and foreign situations; surveys, statistics, projects, etc.

Luchemos por la Vida is the only non-profit organization working to change the sad reality of traffic safety in Argentina. Unfortunately, we do not receive any kind of financial support from government agencies or persons. So far, most of the working is done with the cooperation of volunteers who come to help after work. However, many things have been accomplished (and many more could be with a little more help):

Ų One of our first efforts was to encourage the passing of a new traffic law. Finally, the government passed a decree (692/92), and more recently the new National Law of Traffic (24,449), ruling on the use of seat belts, helmets for motorcycle and moped riders, the prohibition of take children on front seats, maximum BAC levels, etc. We are working to that it is properly enforced now. A book was printed with text and comments on the new National Law of Traffic, to familiarize people with the law and some basic traffic safety procedures related to it.

Ų We got air time on TV and radio programs that let us share information on traffic safety. This is the only campaign that has been on the air for more than ten years now, designed to help prevent more road accidents.

Ų We launched a quarterly publication called "Luchemos por la Vida" designed to promote public interest on traffic safety and prevention of traffic accidents and share info from international research and developments in other countries.

Ų Brochures dealing with traffic safety topics have been printed.

Ų We help the government of the city of Buenos Aires to teach traffic safety to people who want to get their licenses, for free.

Ų Traffic safety programs were developed for systematic teaching of children and teenagers. Note that in Argentina, traffic safety is not considered in any public school's teaching program (despite the Traffic Law's provisions about it). The teams of Traffic Safety Teaching sponsored by private firms have offered special and personalized teaching to groups of up to 25 students of elementary and high schools, reaching 80,000 students in our capital city and the province of Buenos Aires up to now.

Ų As an answer to our input, the subject of prevention of traffic accidents has begun to be discussed on TV and other mass media (it was not until 1991). Now members of our association appear on TV programs, radio and TV interviews and articles in the most important papers in the country.

Ų The "Luchemos por la Vida" awards are been given each year since 1996 to all those who made awareness about it. The ceremony was held at the end of the year, with many people attending and the news was covered by the main mass media of the country.

Ų Seminars on prevention of traffic accidents and traffic safety are being taught.

However, we know that is just the beginning of something that, if fully developed, would change traffic reality in Argentina, thus saving thousands of lives that year after year are lost in traffic accidents that could have been avoided. We want to reduce the fatality rates to reach those developed countries and we dream of the day when, God willing, no one will die in a traffic cident in Argentina.