Traffic Injury Research Foundation Signs Memorandum Of Understanding With AROSO To Bring Award-Winning Brain On Board To Arab Countries

TORONTO, ON., (January 21, 2015) – It has been two years since the Ottawa-based Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF) and the Toyota Canada Foundation launched “Brain on Board” in Canada – an innovative public education program to help Canadians learn more about safety technology and safe driving.

Since then, Brain on Board has had a major impact not just in Canada, but it has begun to gain attention from other countries as well. For example, traffic to the Brain on Board website (brainonboard.ca) today comes from places such as the United States, Australia, Japan and Ukraine.      

That global growth has now taken a major step forward with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between TIRF and the Arab Road Safety Organization (AROSO), a non-governmental organization based in Tunisia that promotes a united approach in Arab countries to prevent road crashes. AROSO has plans to translate Brain on Board and use the tool in its educational efforts. AROSO also plans to make Brain on Board available for use by Arab countries. 

“This is a landmark agreement that demonstrates the universal appeal of Brain on Board as a valuable tool to establish a global culture of road safety,” said Robyn Robertson, TIRF President and CEO. “We look forward to this relationship serving as a template for developing similar partnerships elsewhere in the world.”

To launch Brain on Board, AROSO will develop a work plan in cooperation with TIRF to identify which components of the program are most relevant and appropriate for the Arab world. This will include selecting specific materials to be translated into official languages of AROSO countries, collecting data to shape the tailoring of the program to the region, as well as creating a website to house the program. TIRF will provide AROSO with electronic copies of the program’s web pages, fact sheets, flash cards, and multimedia for translations. The latest materials in development in Canada will also be shared, to ensure that AROSO’s program is as up-to-date and robust as the Canadian version. TIRF will also provide data analytic services to AROSO.

“There is good reason why Brain on Board was named as one of the world’s top 30 campaigns in 2014 that support worthy causes, and was the only Canadian representative on that list,” said Sandy Di Felice, Director, Toyota Canada Inc. “This international expansion is further validation of the program’s excellence. As a leader in vehicular safety, Toyota Canada, through the Toyota Canada Foundation, is extremely proud to be supporting Brain on Board.”  

The Brain on Board program includes free online and downloadable resources, videos, posters, diagrams, fact sheets, and flash cards designed to increase knowledge among drivers regarding how various vehicle safety features work, how to use them correctly, and how their own driving behaviours can negate the potential benefits. The program is available in English and French at brainonboard.ca.

About the Toyota Canada Foundation

The Toyota Canada Foundation is a national not-for-profit, private charitable foundation, with a long-standing commitment to the Environment, Education and Safety. The Foundation supports charitable and non-profit organizations dedicated to good work in these areas. 

About TIRF

Established in 1964, TIRF’s mission is to reduce traffic-related deaths and injuries. As a national, independent, charitable road safety research institute, TIRF designs, promotes, and implements effective programs and policies, based on sound research. TIRF is a registered charity and depends on grants, awards, and donations to provide services for the public. Visit us online at www.tirf.ca.

-30-