Rob McInerney iRAP Asia, Wesley Wan President AA Hong Kong, David Ward, Michelle Yeoh, Jean Todt, AA Singapore President Bernard Tay, AA Malaysia Chairman HH Tunku Mudzaffar, and AA Singapore CEO Lee Wai Mun
Singapore will hold a year of safe driving in 2009 as part of a series of initiatives spearheaded by the country’s Automobile Association to improve road safety.
The AA Singapore gave details of the plans at a workshop attended by Make Roads Safe global ambassador Michelle Yeoh and FIA Foundation Director General David Ward. It is working with Singapore’s Land Transport Authority and the Traffic Police on the initiatives to boost road safety.
One key development will be to launch an initiative based on the International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP). Other plans include a young drivers training project.
AA President, Bernard Tay addressed the workshop alongside Michelle Yeoh, Jean Todt and David Ward. Mr. Tay said:
“The Association is dedicating the next year to promote safe driving among its more than 78,000 members and the motoring public. Many road accident deaths and injuries are unnecessary, and caused by human error, driver recklessness, drink driving, and failure to give way. Lives lost, serious injuries and grief to families and loved ones can be avoided if drivers exercise more caution and patience when driving. We are working very closely with Traffic Police and Land Transport Authority launch new initiatives to reduce the number of accidents and lives lost on our roads.”
David Ward outlined the global forecast for road traffic fatalities, including figures showing an 80% increase for East Asia and the Pacific region through to 2020. He also briefed the workshop on the Make Roads Safe campaign’s latest developments. “At its recent meeting in St. Petersburg, the Commission for Global Road Safety set out the next steps for global action. What we are looking at is an ambitious programme for the 2009 UN Ministerial. We will be focusing on a sustained effort, between now and 2020, to achieve a reduction in road deaths through tough targets.”
Also speaking was iRAP Asia chief executive officer Rob McInerney. He said that
While Singapore's economy means that its road infrastructure is more advanced than that of most other Asian countries, one area where there is room for improvement in safety for motorcyclists and vulnerable road users.
The workshop included delegates from automobile clubs in Australia, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Macau, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Thailand and Sri Lanka.