Road Safety: Introduction
In 2010 the IRF's Safer Roads Working Group enters a Decade of Action for Road Safety
'Road Safety is no accident' – the slogan of the 2007 United Nations Road Safety Week describes the problem of road safety well. Along these lines, the International Road Federation is very involved in disseminating knowledge and best practice about road safety and advocacy. Each year, more than 1.17 million people die in road crashes around the world and more than 10 million are crippled or severely injured. In 1990, the World Health Organisation identified traffic injuries as the ninth most important health problem. By 2020, it is thought that traffic injuries will become the third most important health problem. Furthermore, these accidents cost typically between 1 percent and 3 percent of a country's annual Gross National Product (GNP). These costs are both unacceptable and unaffordable.
Reducing road accident fatalities call for long term actions. It is felt that these should effect a safe road transport system by providing all users with maximum protection against human error. True, positive support to the users (such as information, education and training) and negative support (such as penalties) can make a significant contribution to road safety. Such passive measures will, however, never be sufficient. Pro-active road safety measures are needed, supported by appropriate level of funding, and designed to improve the infrastructure and make it more forgiving of human error. Major changes must be made to the road infrastructure in addition to an improved level of road maintenance. Furthermore, installing and upgrading road equipment such as safety barriers and obstacle protection, markings, signs, signals and lighting make a vital contribution to a reduction in road accidents and the unacceptable burden they impose on society. To achieve this, appropriate road safety policy should be implemented. This should be built around the following key points: commitment, dedicated funding, sustainability, supportive measures, cross border standardization, partnerships and dissemination of know-how.
First UN Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety, 19 -20 November 2009, Moscow, Russia
On 19-20 November 2009 the Government of the Russian Federation hosted the First Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety. Requested by the UN General Assembly, the event represented a historic opportunity to make progress on tackling a leading cause of death and disability. As many as 1500 participants including ministers; representatives of UN agencies, civil society organizations and private companies attended the meeting which was opened by President Dmitry Medvedev. Participants called for action to address the large and growing global impact of road traffic crashes; reviewed progress on implementation of the World report on road traffic injury prevention; and shared information and good practices on road safety.
The meeting culminated with the adoption of the Moscow Declaration which invites the UN General Assembly to declare a Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020. In Resolution 62/244 adopted on 31st March 2008, the General Assembly not only endorsed the Moscow Ministerial but also agreed to debate road safety again during its forthcoming sixty-fourth session. The Assembly, therefore, has a clear mandate to consider the outcome of the Moscow Ministerial and adopt a new resolution that could endorse the Decade of Action and the 50% fatality reduction target. The Decade of Action for Road Safety would then have the same status as similar ‘decades of action’ on issues such as malaria. (1)
The International Road Federation was requested to participate in Panel Discussion 5: Safe Road Infrastructure and was represented by Hilton Vorster, Chairman of the Safer Roads Working Group. Nathalie Pereira Project Manager: Road Safety and Social Development also attended the Conference. The Safer Roads Working Group used the opportunity to hold a working groups group meeting on the 18th of November 2009.
IRF’s Safer Roads Working Group is aligned with the priorities of the Declaration of the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011 -2020 and continues to work towards relevant activities and topics.
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Contact
For information on how to join IRF’s Safer Roads Working Group or any other relevant information on it, please contact Nathalie Pereira - Road Safety Manager – npereira@irfnet.org
