Educating the Public on Safer Roads through Arts: The MIROS@rt Initiative

Abstract

Malaysia has faced significant losses due to road crashes. To improve the situation, the government among others has established the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) with the mission “to foster the science and arts of road safety intervention”. While many science-based interventions have been transformed into policies, the art component is lacking behind. MIROS@rt (read: MIROS art) intends to rectify the gap. Clutching on communication and social marketing theory, MIROS@rt has embarked on various programs – black-and-white photojournalism of crash victims, cartoon competition, sculpture, doodling, and digital artwork inter alia. A study on black-and-white photographs of crash victims proved that the medium is well-received and effective at promoting the idea of safer roads.