Premiere Shinzo Abe has been presented with a Japanese edition of the Make Roads Safe report at a meeting in Tokyo. The President of the FIA, Max Mosley and the Director General of the FIA Foundation met with Prime Minister Abe together with the President of the Japanese Automobile Federation, Mr Setsuo Tanaka to discuss global road safety issues.
During the meeting Prime Minister Abe expressed his appreciation for the Foundation’s commitment to road safety and highlighted Japan’s positive experience in reducing road traffic deaths from a peak of 16,000 per year to below 7000. Asked by the Foundation’s Director General, David Ward, if Japan could take a lead on the issue among the Group of 8 leading industrialised countries, the Prime Minister confirmed that Japan was interested to consider extending its support for road safety efforts through its official development programmes and its contribution to the World Bank. Mr Abe also added that he found it an innovative approach to try to assist developing countries through road safety.
Whilst in Japan, Max Mosley and David Ward also held meetings with leading automobile industry leaders, including the President and CEO of Honda, Mr Takeo Fukui, the President of Toyota Mr Katsuaki Watanabe, and with the President and CEO of Bridgestone Mr Shoshi Arakawa. At these meetings both safety and environmental issues were discussed particularly in the global context of Japan’s forthcoming Presidency of the G8 in 2008.
Also participating on the trip to Tokyo was the FIA Technical consultant, Tony Purnell and the Chairman of the International Road Assessment Programme, John Dawson. During the visit meetings were also held with Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and with the Japanese Automobile Manufacturers Association.