PRAGUE, May 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- On April 3rd, the Czech
Republic remembered National Delay Day, an initiative
established by the Czech Insurance Association to encourage a
nationwide slowdown. Businesses, educational institutions, cultural
landmarks, and local communities across the country participated in
a collective reflection on the perils of haste, especially on the
road. April 3rd symbolized a
collective pause in the national daily rush, reminding everyone
that haste is often needless, particularly at critical moments,
such as when driving. This reminder was underscored by the Police
of the Czech Republic, which noted
that in 2023 alone, 138 road deaths were reported due to excessive
speeding.
The Czech Insurance Association's survey revealed that the rush
to save time is the primary cause of speeding, with nine out of ten
Czech drivers admitting to breaching speed limits, and 43 % doing
so to make up for being late. In the past ten years since 2014,
excessive speed has resulted in 134,891 traffic accidents in
Czechia, with 51,488 of these incidents having serious
consequences.
"This specific day allowed us to afford people a bit more time
to decelerate and recognize that not everything is an urgent
matter, and that arriving a few minutes late is often preferable to
not arriving at all," explained Jan Matoušek, CEO of the Czech
Insurance Association, which spearheaded last year's initiative.
"The public's interest has reaffirmed the importance of persisting
with this activity, prompting us to involve additional corporate
partners this year to help propagate this philosophy among their
staff and clientele."
Delay of the World-Famous Timekeeping Symbol
As the country slowed down, the Prague Astronomical Clock, a
symbol of timekeeping, stood still, marking the day with a symbolic
pause to its hourly procession. The famous "Walk of the Apostles,"
an hourly show of moving Apostle figures and other sculptures,
changed its scheme for the first time in history. Notably, the
figure of a skeleton that represents Death did not strike the time
this year, but instead marked the 138 lives lost in car accidents
caused by speeding in the past year.
In support of this reflection on speed and safety, the Czech
Football Association along with MOL – the chain of gas stations and
the main partner of the football league, delayed the MOL Cup
semifinal kick-off, using the national platform to echo the day's
message.
"The symbolic delay of the MOL Cup semifinal kick-off served as
a reminder to both fans and the football community that haste can
lead to unnecessary risks. I am hoping that this initiative will
contribute to a shift in the alarming accident and casualty
statistics," commented Petr Fousek,
Chairman of the FAČR.
Business Involvement
The impact of National Delay Day was evident in the amount of
involvement from partners across different disciplines: companies
such as BMW, petrol stations MOL, delivery service DPD, bikesharing
service Rekola, telecommunications company Vodafone, groceries
delivery Rohlik.cz all emphasized the unnecessary rushing in their
communications, along with many other large companies.
For instance, MOL promoted the MOL MOVE initiative, motivating
drivers to safely pause and rest at petrol stations to prevent
hazardous driving. NN Life Insurance and Generali Czech Insurance,
as well as components of the integrated rescue system, including
the Police of the Czech Republic,
supported the project by embracing the initiative's message and
contributing to the nationwide effort to promote safer roads.
Media support for the project was pledged by Czech National
Television and nationwide radio stations such as Evropa 2,
Frekvence 1, and Bonton, all of which postponed selected program
broadcast times. Cultural institutions like Cirk La Putyka theatre,
Aerofilms, and the National Theatre participated, with the National
Theatre postponing its ballet performance titled "bpm" on
April 3rd, which contemplates the
rhythm and pulse of the human heart. Many Czech celebrities and
influencers followed the initiative as well.
The Leading Voice in Road Safety
National Delay Day built on the success of the 13 MINUTES
Prequel project of the Czech Insurance Association, aiming to
encourage public contemplation on the perils of speeding and
rushing while driving. It called upon all drivers to decelerate and
ponder whether haste justifies the risk to their own and others'
safety.
National Delay Day's complete list of activities and partnering
organizations is available
at https://www.13minut.cz/bez-spechu/manifest_en.pdf
Video:
https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2412656/Marked_National_Delay_Day.mp4
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