UN Global Road Safety Week

UN Global Road Safety Week

United Nations General Assembly Resolution 60/5 has designated April 23-29, 2007 as global road safety week.  The resolution invites the United Nations member nations to organize and host public awareness activities to underscore the preventable nature of road traffic crashes and to educate the public on the impact that accidents have on global health.
The theme is “Road Safety is No  Accident” highlighting the fact that improving road safety does not occur by accident, but only happens through the deliberate and determined efforts of many sectors of society, both governmental and non-governmental.  The theme of the week will focus on young road users, including young drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists who make up a high proportion of those suffering death, injury and disability on the roads. 

The Problem

According to the World Health Organization, each year road crashes kill nearly 1.2 million people and injure or disable 20-50 million more across the world.  Low and middle income countries account for 90% of all road traffic fatalities.  Many developing countries are increasing the rate of motorized vehicle use at up to 18% per year.  As developing countries increase vehicle use, road traffic injuries are expected to become the third leading cause of death and disability worldwide by 2020.  More than 40% of all road traffic deaths occur among those 25 years old or younger.  In low and middle income countries, vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and public transportation users) are most likely to be involved in a crash.  In high income countries, those most at risk are the drivers.

The Impact

The human toll is tragic. Survivors and family members are affected not only by an immediate death or disability, but sometimes a lifetime of psychological and physical suffering. Crashes often result in children left orphaned, and some victims, as young as infants, spend the rest of their lives in medical facilities. The economic impact of road crashes is also enormous.  Many of those injured or killed in road accidents are wage earners, leaving families destitute and without means of support.  Loss of wages, property damage, and other factors affected by road traffic crashes represented 4.6% of the gross national product of the United States in 1994.  In developing countries, road traffic crashes represent 3-5% of the GNP. The estimated annual cost of road traffic crashes in developing countries exceeds $100 billion. This amounts to nearly double the total combined development assistance these countries receive every year from bilateral and multi-lateral government organizations.  Globally, the estimated annual costs of road crashes are $500 billion.

The US Response

The U.S. government is working with its bilateral and multilateral partners, governments, industry groups and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) worldwide to raise awareness about global road safety.  It also is engaging with partners in the private and public sectors to promote education and infrastructure development to increase road safety for drivers and pedestrians alike.

Along with other Group of Eight (G8) countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and Russia), the United States is working with African nations to improve their infrastructure -- and that includes building or improving roads. The G8 agreed in 2005 to increase official development assistance to Africa substantially by the year 2010. 

In Sudan, for example, the United States has helped fund Norwegian People's Aid (NPA), an international NGO that is working to clear mines and unexploded ordnance from the roads in southern Sudan.  The United States also is working with international organizations to ensure the safe travel and transport of goods on the road from Yei to Juba, the capital of southern Sudan.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has produced a road safety plan for East and Central Africa that focuses on community participation in promoting road safety, along with educational brochures on road safety published in French and English.

Working with the Egyptian Ministry of Transportation, we plan to provide technical assistance and training to engineers through our International Visitor Leadership Program.  The selected engineers will visit our National Transportation Safety Board, National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, NGO’s and other organizations focusing on road safety to see traffic safety efforts first-hand. 

As part of promoting road safety for all, the United States also provides safety tips and training for its employees, and, through its consular information program, provides information on road safety conditions and risks to Americans traveling and residing abroad.

USAID, the U.S. Dept. of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration  (NHTSA) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are involved in providing limited technical assistance to support global road safety activities in low and middle income countries, on a case-by-case basis.  

Communities and groups throughout the U.S. will also be hosting activities during Global Road Safety Week, e.g.

• Make Roads Safe, North America, comprised of national, state, local, academic, advocacy, and other organizations in the US and Canada, will host diverse events (press conferences, legislative briefings, child passenger safety checks, older driver courses, school presentations, safety conferences, etc) during Global Road Safety Week in Washington, DC, and across the US and Canada.  It is also conducting a traffic safety writing contest for children ages 4-11 called "Zebra's International Adventures."
• National Youth Traffic Safety Month (NOYS) member organizations will host traffic safety awareness events across the country. NOYS will sponsor this event with project ideas, registration of activities, press releases, awards, articles from experts on youth traffic safety, and host conference calls with experts in this field.
• Safe Kids Week in Seattle will offer safety activities and prizes. Low cost bike/skate helmets will be on hand with a free custom fit. Bike and skateboard demonstrations will be performed at center court. Safety information and activities will be provided for wheeled sports and child passenger safety.