The United Nations Road Safety Collaboration met in London on November 14th & 15th, hosted by the FIA Foundation.
The Collaboration, coordinated by the World Health Organisation and including key UN agencies, the World Bank, several governments and road safety NGOs, is formulating an action plan to tackle a largely ignored epidemic of road fatalities and injuries, more than 80% of which occur in less developed countries.
Among the proposals and actions being discussed by the UN taskforce are:
Greater coordination by international agencies and governments to tackle global road traffic injuries;
The first global United Nations Road Safety Week, in 2007, to raise the political and public awareness of the human and economic cost of road injuries;
A series of practical and technical toolkits for use by public authorities explaining the most effective interventions to tackle injury causes such as speeding; non-compliance with seat belt and helmet laws; and drink driving.
David Ward, Director General of the FIA Foundation, said:
“This UN Road Safety Collaboration is the first real attempt by the international community to respond to a hidden epidemic which kills three thousand people every day. The FIA Foundation was delighted to have the opportunity to host this important meeting in London.”
The United Nations Road Safety Collaboration was mandated by the UN General Assembly in Resolution A/58/L ‘Improving Global Road Safety’ of April 2004 to act as coordinator on global road safety within the UN system. This mandate was reaffirmed in October 2005. The Collaboration is coordinated by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and includes the following agencies, governments and organisations in its membership: World Bank; UN ESCWA, UN ECE, UN ECA, UN ECLAC (all regional UN commissions); UNICEF; UN Habitat; governments of USA, Sweden, Netherlands; NGOs including Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP), Taskforce for Child Survival & Development; European Federation of Road Traffic Victims (FEVR) and the FIA Foundation.