“Speed up in life, but not on the road” was an informational campaign conducted in 2024 by the Center for Democracy and Rule of Law (CEDEM) as part of the “For Safe Roads” campaign in partnership with the agency pedan buro. It focused on urging the government to lower the non-penalized speed limit excess from 20 km/h to 10 km/h, and reminding people that speeding on the roads is unacceptable, while adhering to speed limits saves lives.
The campaign was based on the idea that modern society is used to living at a fast pace. We try to do more in less time: speeding up audio listening, urging quick meeting closures, and developing new skills at an accelerated pace. However, when you’re behind the wheel, rushing can lead to not a more productive day, but to traffic accidents with serious consequences.
To draw public attention to the issue, CEDEM involved opinion leaders in the campaign. The initiative was supported by journalist Emma Antoniuk, Ukrainian MP Roman Hryshchuk, blogger Sofia Bezverkha, linguistic blogger Andriy Shymanovskyi, and others. They spoke about the problem and urged Ukrainians to spread the messages, and MPs to support the reduction of the non-penalized speed limit excess from 20 km/h to 10 km/h.
Opinion leaders supported the campaign in various formats: they created and published their own posts on different social networks (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, X, TikTok), reposted posts by CEDEM and the “For Safe Roads” campaign, and urged their followers to spread the campaign’s messages for greater publicity.
“Let’s imagine: I call a taxi. The driver is going 50 km/h, which is the maximum allowable speed for the city. I am nervous because I am late for a shoot, and here, for the sake of five ‘stars’ on the speedometer, it’s already ’70’. This is an excess, yes, but permissible. And I make it on time, and he has no fines. A difference of 20 km and the years of life we literally risk. You will now say: ‘Emma, you are dramatizing.’ And I will answer you not with emotions, but with facts. According to WHO, in almost 100% of cases, both the driver and the random pedestrian have no chance of surviving an accident at a speed of 70 km/h and above,” said Emma Antoniuk on her Instagram.
The call for legislative change is also supported by the director of the “Wild Theater,” journalist Yaroslava Kravchenko: “Reducing the non-penalized speed limit excess from 20 km/h to 10 km/h will help reduce the number of accidents with severe consequences. It is important that even during the war, the state continues to reform legislation. And we must fight for this as a society. In the meantime, let’s speed up meeting closures, audio from friends, and language learning. But let’s not hurry on the road. It can cost a life.”
This informational campaign resonated with the public. The posts by opinion leaders on social networks were viewed more than 670 thousand times. The initiative was discussed four times on Ukrainian television broadcasts, which were watched approximately 5.9 million times. Publications also appeared in national and regional media.
Most commentators on social networks agreed with the existence of the problem in Ukraine and supported the initiative to reduce the “non-penalized limit” to 10 km/h. Moreover, followers asked what they could do to help the campaign, proving people’s willingness to participate in changes.
“Studies show that the difference between 50 and 70 km/h is the difference between life and death. A child walking to school, a woman on a bicycle, or a man on a moped have minimal chance of surviving if hit at a speed of 70 and above. That is why the standard limit in cities worldwide is 50, and in the Traffic Rules of Ukraine, it is also 50. It is important to finally eliminate this deadly contradiction between the Rules and the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses,” concludes Oleksia Kholopik, director of CEDEM.
Video report about campaign
Therefore, the Center for Democracy and Rule of Law team, together with partners, will continue to work on changes that will make Ukrainian roads safe.