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Global leaders renew commitments on road safety

HUMANITY & INCLUSION (HI)
September 2020

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On 1st September 2020, the UN adopted a new Resolution on Road Safety to extend until 2030 the global commitments to improve road safety and launched the Second Decade of Action for Road Safety (2021-2030), thus encouraging greater efforts worldwide.  This builds on the Ministerial Declaration adopted in Stockholm in February 2020 and integrates the joint key asks of the many civil society organisations that have been advocating, over the past years, for stronger global leadership on road safety.

The Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety, of which Humanity & Inclusion (HI) is a member, has convened and leveraged the diverse voices of road users, road crashes victims’ associations, local organisations and international NGOs. This Resolution represents a great achievement for the global road safety community.

Inclusive urban mobility and road safety in developing countries

HUMANITY & INCLUSION (HI)
June 2018

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Between 20 to 50 million people worldwide suffer non-fatal injuries in road crashes every year; around 1.25 million are killed. Unsafe roads also represent a major factor of social exclusion, especially for ‘vulnerable road users’. These include notably pedestrians, persons with disabilities, cyclists and children. They represent 46% of road casualties. Persons with disabilities are at higher risk of sustaining injuries from road crashes.

In this thematic brief, the importance of inclusive urban planning is emphasised. Urban mobility and road safety challenges discussed include: safe crossing points over roads; signage and information; collective transport (particularly buses); road design and layout, poor road markings or signposts and the lack of street lighting.

 

Case histories provided are: Engaging government and DPOs to improve safe and inclusive mobility in Burkina Faso; and  Data, road safety and urban mobility in Vientiane, Laos

 

Recommendations for improvements in policies and actions are given under the headings: 

1. Strengthening the policy and financial framework for safe and inclusive mobility action, based on evidence and through participative processes

2. Removing the barriers to safe and accessible mobility, focusing on: the built environment; transport and vehicles; people

Inclusive urban mobility and getting to school safely in developing countries

HUMANITY & INCLUSION (HI)
June 2018

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For teenagers in developing countries, there is no greater threat to life than road traffic crashes: road crashes are the leading cause of preventable death of youth aged 15 to 29 years, and the second cause for those aged 5 to 14 years.(6) The risks are even higher for children with disabilities, who are also more exposed to non-fatal injuries from road crashes.

In this thematic brief, the importance of inclusive urban planning is emphasised. Urban mobility and road safety challenges discussed include: safe crossing points over roads and collective transport (particularly buses). 

 

Two case studies are provided: Safer access to school for disabled students in Kenya; and School access and pedestrian safety improvements in Democratic Republic of Congo

 

Recommendations for improvements in policies and actions are given under the headings:

  • 1. Strengthening the policy and financial framework for safe and inclusive mobility, based on evidence and through participative processes
  • 2. Removing the barriers to safe and accessible mobility, focusing on: the built environment; transport and vehicles; people

Inclusive urban mobility and getting to work safely in developing countries

HUMANITY & INCLUSION (HI)
June 2018

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The lack of safe and accessible roads in many cities in developing countries impacts negatively on employment opportunities for persons with disabilities. Between 20 to 50 million people worldwide suffer non-fatal injuries in road crashes every year; around 1.25 million are killed. Unsafe roads also represent a major factor of social exclusion, especially for ‘vulnerable road users’. These include notably pedestrians, persons with disabilities, cyclists and children. They represent 46% of road casualties. Persons with disabilities are at higher risk of sustaining injuries from road crashes.

 

In this thematic brief, the importance of inclusive urban planning is emphasised. Urban mobility and road safety challenges discussed include: safe crossing points over roads; signage and information; collective transport (particularly buses); accessing buildings such as offices or retail and driving with a disability.

 

Case histories provided are: Accessible transport as part of an inclusive jobs program in Senegal; and Modified vehicles and driving licenses for drivers with disabilities in Vietnam

 

Recommendations for improvements in policies and actions are given under the headings: 

1. Strengthening the policy and financial framework for safe and inclusive mobility action, based on evidence and through participative processes

2. Removing the barriers to safe and accessible mobility, focusing on: the built environment; transport and vehicles; people

Road safety : focus on vulnerable users

HANDICAP INTERNATIONAL
November 2015

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This advocacy briefing paper shows the challenges to implementing road safety, the benefits of safe roads for communities, the international legal framework that discusses road safety in policy, suggestions for what individual actors can do to increase mobility and vehicle safety, and finally how to measure the progress of road safety programmes

 

Policy paper

The global status report on road safety 2013 : supporting a decade of action

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)
2013

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"This report presents information on road safety from 182 countries, accounting for almost 99% of the world’s population. The report indicates that worldwide the total number of road traffic deaths remains unacceptably high at 1.24 million per year. Only 28 countries, covering 7% of the world’s population, have comprehensive road safety laws on five key risk factors: drinking and driving, speeding, and failing to use motorcycle helmets, seat-belts, and child restraints. This report serves as a baseline for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020, declared by the UN General Assembly. This is the second in a Global status report series"

Moscow declaration

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)
November 2009

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This declaration from the first global ministerial conference on road safety acknowledges the global road safety crisis and recognises current initiatives. It highlights 11 resolutions and invites the UN to establish a Decade of Action for Road Safety from 2011-2020. This declaration is useful to those interested in road safety
First Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety : Time for Action
Moscow, Russia
19-20 November 2009

NGO ‘Brussels declaration’ : recommendations to governments from NGOs advocating for road victims and road safety for the ‘Decade of Action for road safety

SMINKEY, Laura
CHAUDHRY, Brigitte
2009

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This report contains recommendations to Governments from NGOs advocating for road victims and road safety. 33 recommendations are provided to improve road safety in the following five topics: general approach, prevention, post crash response, worldwide learning and joint initiatives and action. This report is useful to anyone interested in advocacy for road victims and road safety
Global Meeting of NGOs Advocating for Road Safety and Road Victims
Brussels, Belgium
7-8 May 2009

Towards zero : ambitious road safety targets and the safe system approach|Summary document

INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORT FORUM (ITF)
ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC COOPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT (OECD)
2008

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"This is a summary of the report ‘Towards Zero: Ambitious Road Safety Targets and the Safe System Approach’...The purpose of the report is to review the state of the art in improving road safety performance and examine the role of targets in raising the level of ambition and achieving effective implementation of road safety policies. The work aims to assist governments in raising the performance threshold by developing more systematic approaches to road safety. It highlights the institutional management changes required in many countries to implement effective interventions through a strong focus on results and underlines the economic case for road safety investment. This summary document comprises the recommendations, executive summary and table of contents of the full report together with details of the experts that contributed to the work"

Practical guide on road safety : a toolkit for National Red Cross

LAUTREDOU, Gérard
2007

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This practical guide "is intended as a summary of road safety problems and solutions worldwide. It also describes the activities of National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in the field of road safety and suggests possible improvements. In addition, the toolkit includes 20 recommendations that can be undertaken by the National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies"

Helmets : a road safety manual for decision makers and practitioners

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)
2006

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"This manual provides practical advice to road safety practitioners on how to achieve a much higher proportion of users of two-wheeled vehicles wearing helmets. It follows on from the World report on road traffic injury prevention, which described evidence that setting and enforcing mandatory helmet use is an effective intervention for reducing injuries and fatalities among two-wheeler users. The manual is one of a series of documents produce by an informal consortium (WHO, the Global Road Safety Partnership, the World Bank, and the FIA Foundation for the Automobile and Society) that aims to provide guidance to countries on how to implement some of the recommendations identified within the World Report, and thus improve their overall road safety record"

Advancing sustainable safety : national road safety outlook for 2005 - 2020

WEGMAN, Fred
AARTS, Letty
Eds
2006

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This document on developing sustainable safety in the Netherlands "starts with a section comprising theoretical backgrounds and analyses. The reader will, firstly, find a chapter with general theoretical backgrounds to the Sustainable Safety vision (Chapter 1), followed by analyses of road safety problems in the Netherlands (Chapter 2). The final chapter of Part I (Chapter 3) discusses an evaluation of what has been learned during a decade of Sustainable Safety - about implementation and the effects of measures based on that vision. Part II and III discuss the elaboration in the content of the advanced Sustainable Safety vision. Part II focuses on various types of measures in the field of infrastructure (Chapter 4), vehicles (Chapter 5), Intelligent Transport Systems (Chapter 6), education (Chapter 7) and regulation and enforcement directed at road user behaviour (Chapter 8). Part III focuses on specific problem areas or groups within road safety....(identified) as speed (Chapter 9), drink and drug driving (Chapter 10), young and novice drivers (Chapter 11), cyclists and pedestrians (Chapter 12), motorized two-wheelers (Chapter 13) and heavy goods vehicles (Chapter 14).... (T)his book (concludes) with a fourth part that sets out in one chapter (Chapter 15) implementation aspects and opportunities to advance Sustainable Safety"

World report on road traffic injury prevention

PEDEN, Margie
et al
2004

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"This joint WHO/World Bank report on road traffic injury prevention is an important part of the response to the world’s road safety crisis. It is directed at international, regional and national policy-makers, international agencies and key professionals in public health, transport, engineering, education and other sectors, and aims to stimulate action for road safety. It sets out universal principles rather than a ‘blue print’ for worldwide application, recognizing fully the need to identify local needs and the adaptation of ‘best practices’ accordingly"
Note: a summary of the report and a report factsheet are also available

Road safety and health

WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY
2004

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This report from the World Health Assembly recognises that road traffic injuries are a public health problem and advocates for prevention initiatives on road safety and health. It highlights 13 recommendations for member states and eight requests to the Director-General. This paper is useful to those interested in road traffic injuries and road safety
World Health Assembly
Geneva, Switzerland
17-22 May 2004
WHA57.10

Introduction : safety as a human right

MOHAN, Dinesh
2003

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This article describes the right of people to live in a world safe from harmful injuries as a fundamental human right. It presents background information about the need for a right to safety, people’s right to safety and a discussion about different priorities for action. This article is useful for anyone interested in safety as a human right
Note: This article is an introduction to the ‘People’s Right to Safety’ round table discussion at the 6th World Conference on Injury Prevention and Control held in Montreal, Canada in May 2012
Health and Human Rights, Vol 6, No 2

Road traffic injuries

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)

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"WHO works with partners - governmental and nongovernmental - around the world to raise the profile of the preventability of road traffic injuries and promote good practices related to helmet and seat-belt wearing, not drinking and driving, not speeding and being visible in traffic." This website describes global and national road safety initiatives, and provides links to related publications, multimedia, and events. It is useful to anyone interested in road traffic injuries and road safety

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