Kunhadi

Kunhadi

Formation	2006
Type	Road Safety Non-Profit Organization
Location	Lebanon
Mission	Kunhadi's mission is to introduce a new driving culture among youth to keep them safe on Lebanese roads.
Website	http://kunhadi.org/kunhadi/index.php

Kunhadi (Arabic " كُن هادي ", English "be calm") is a non-profit organization concerned with road safety in Lebanon. Kunhadi is aimed at raising road safety awareness, especially among young people. The organization was established in 2006 after Hady Gebrane died from a car crash at age 18.^[1]

Kunhadi's work includes lobbying and advocacy.^[2] Its main focus is on improving dangerous driving behaviors, such as speeding, drunk driving, not wearing helmets or seat belts and driving while fatigued or distracted.

Activities in Lebanon

Road Safety Conferences

"Road Safety Sessions" are interactive road safety sessions at schools,^[3] universities ^[4] and corporations. They strive to explain the role of each road user in improving road safety.

Since 2013, Kunhadi collaborates with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon in Lebanon to raise awareness among the children of South Lebanon.^[5] While Kunhadi presents the safety rules, the UNIFIL implement exercises with the children.^[6]

Road Safety Awareness Campaigns

In 2009, Kunhadi collaborated with USAid to launch "Spreading the Road Safety Project" that included the production of 32 public service announcements explaining the importance of road safety and respecting the Lebanese traffic law in less than 20 seconds. As part of this project, and funded by USAid, Kunhadi launched campaigns to raise awareness about the dangers of drunk driving and speeding.^[7]

In 2013 and 2014, Kunhadi collaborated with Alfa and organized two national campaigns^[8] to raise awareness on the danger of using the phone while driving.^[9]

In 2015, on the occasion of Valentine's Day, Kunhadi launched a road safety awareness campaign encouraging people not to speed on the roads.^[10]

Taxi Night

Taxi Night 18th Edition

Taxi Night is a party that takes place at the most sought-after nightclubs in Lebanon, where guests arrive to and leave the party in taxi cars offered free of charge by Kunhadi, as the use of personal cars is prohibited.

Kunhadi created the concept of Taxi Night in 2007 with the aim of decreasing drunk driving incidents by introducing a culture of "taxiing safely back home" as a practical and trendy alternative to drunk driving and fatigue driving. This unorthodox method of raising awareness against drunk driving came as a result of Kunhadi's work methodology that shies away from more classic ways of communication, to speak the language of youth.^[11]

By May 2017, Kunhadi had organized eighteen editions of Taxi Night.

^[12]

Road Infrastructure

Safe Crossing in front of International College - 2011

Kunhadi launched a campaign for pedestrian safety in November 2011 that included the installation of pedestrian crossings in front of schools in Lebanon.^[13]

Since it first launched the campaign in 2011, Kunhadi installed pedestrian crossings in front of 13 schools. The organization also follows up the installation with workshops to teach school students, staff members and parents, on the correct use of the safe crossing.

In 2017, Kunhadi and the Municipality of Beirut partnered up to launch a pedestrian campaign and rehabilitate more than ten pedestrian crossings around Beirut.

In addition to pedestrian safety, Kunhadi installs retro-reflective and fluorescent road signs to

Reflective markings on Bekfayya Road

highlight dangerous curves on under-lit the roads to keep them visible to drivers at night.

In the years between 2010 and 2014, Kunhadi installed reflective markings on seven under-lit highways and dangerous points.

To fund both projects, Kunhadi resorts to fundraising events and partnerships with the private sector and grants from international organizations.

Helmets Distribution

In 2010, Kunhadi collaborated with the "Global Helmet Vaccine Initiative"^[14] and offered 1,200 helmets to delivery boys along with a series of conferences about road safety.^[15]

World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims

On the occasion of World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims organized by UN every year since 2005,^[16] Kunhadi organized in November 2013 and 2014 a commemorative ceremony in Sin el Fil, in collaboration with the Municipality.^[17]

Highlighting awareness against Drunk-Driving on New Year’s Eve

Seeing the high number of drunk-driving related crashes on New Year's Eve, Kunhadi decided in NYE 2012-2013 to offer free taxis to nightclubs to be offered for free to clients too intoxicated to drive. Thanks to the success of this campaign, Kunhadi made it a yearly activity on every NYE and on 2014-2015, Kunhadi covered 60 Taxi rides and prevent over 60 people from risking their lives by drunk driving.

International activities

Make Roads Safe

In 2007, the FIA Foundation attempted to collect over one million signatures for a petition to submit to the United Nations to ask for Road Safety measures to be taken (by Governments, Private Sectors and NGOs) in the aim of saving millions of lives over the next decade.^[18] The drive was part of the global Make Roads Safe campaign. Kunhadi collected over 17,000 signatures.

Decade of Action

The UN General Assembly decided to initiate the Decade of Action for Road Safety from 2011 to 2020 in May 2011.

Kunhadi launched its program with four ambassadors: actor and screenwriter Georges Khabbaz, actress Carmen Lebbos, dancer and choreographer Alissar Caracalla and talk show host Tony Baroud.^[19] In 2013, Spanish-Lebanese F3 champion Noel Jammal joined Kunhadi's cause.

In 2013, Kunhadi launched within the frame of the Decade of Action, a national campaign focused on Pedestrian Visibility and the importance of staying visible on the road. As a part of this project, Kunhadi distributed and sold retro-reflective bracelets all over Lebanon.^[20]

In 2014, Kunhadi organized a campaign called "Race on track. Drive on the road" to tackle speeding and drunk driving on the most dangerous axe of Lebanon, Antelias - Byblos highway,^[21] within the frame of the Decade of Action. As a part of this campaign, Kunhadi teamed up with a group of students from Jesus and Mary School in Antelias to make the area around the school safer for pedestrians.^[22]

In 2015, the UN launched a global campaign called #SaveKidsLives. Children and experts at the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration wrote a Declaration to voice the demands of children to feel safer on the roads. ^[23] Kunhadi joined the campaign and will organize a series of event on this occasion.

Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety

In 2015, Kunhadi joined the Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety and participated in the 4th Global Meeting in Marrakesh on March 13 and 14, 2015. The objective of the meeting was to help NGOs to coordinate their activities and to share their best practices.^[24]

References

Additional sources

• Kunhadi organization campaigns to build awareness on hazards of reckless driving
• Kunhadi road safety NGO turns 5 - Donats to ISF
• Skybar urges clubbers drink/drive Kunhadi taxi night
• Aridi/Kunhadi/Ministry partner to resolve road problems
• USAID press release
• What is the best advertising in 2011