Stockholm, Sweden – Heads of National Road Safety Agencies from around 100 countries will come together for the first time this week for a global road safety summit to tackle the scourge of road crash deaths and injuries worldwide.
Road crashes kill more than 1.3 million people each year – more than two every minute – with 9 in 10 of these preventable deaths occurring in low-and middle-income countries. Road crashes are the leading global killer of children and youth aged 5-29.
The first in-person meeting of the new, World Health Organization-facilitated Global Network of Heads of Road Safety Agencies will spur, aid and assess actions to meet the global goal of halving road crash deaths and injuries by 2030 that is set out in the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030.
‘We must seize the moment of this landmark summit to lock-in life-saving national road safety strategies and action plans. National road safety agencies design and direct countries’ road safety plans. They must set clear, measurable goals that are rooted in evidence and are backed up by strong policies, laws, regulations and inclusive coordination,’ said Dr Etienne Krug, Director of the Department of the Social Determinants of Health at WHO.
Held following the Vision Zero Conference on Road Safety hosted by the Swedish government, The meeting on June 28-29 aims to help countries share knowledge and experience around the role of national road safety agencies in strategic planning, setting roles and responsibilities, coordinating across sectors, financing and monitoring and evaluating their national road safety plans.
The Global Plan for the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 offers a blueprint for policy makers to create national and local road safety plans. It calls for a new vision for mobility that puts safety first, adopts a wholistic and systems-focused approach, and ensures that all stakeholders meet their responsibilities.
‘We must urgently move from an old model of drab, dirty and dangerous streets built for cars, to safe, green and vibrant spaces designed and built for people. Mobility underpins so many other aspects of public health and development. By making walking and cycling safe, we can reduce air pollution and fight climate change. By prioritizing the safety of vulnerable road users like pedestrians and cyclists, we can reduce poverty and tackle inequalities, including access to jobs, schools and gender equality,’ said Dr Nhan Tran, Head of Safety and Mobility at WHO.
Launched following the United Nations High-Level Political Declaration on Global Road Safety in June 2022, the Global Network of Heads of Road Safety Agencies aids governments and partners in establishing the policies, coordination systems and actions to ensure safe mobility. It fosters collaboration and learning, provides technical support, and monitors progress against the Global Plan for the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030. As the lead United Nations agency for road safety, WHO facilitates the Global Network.
