Commonwealth Road Safety Initiative launched

10 May 2019

Every year over 210,000 people are killed in road crashes and millions more are seriously injured in Commonwealth countries. Today road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death for children and young people aged 5-29 years. This is a major challenge for Commonwealth countries as over 60% of their populations are under 30. Improved road safety must become a major priority for Commonwealth countries concerned to protect the wellbeing and health of their children and young people.

Road safety in the 53 countries of the Commonwealth is very diverse. Fatality rates in road crashes range from 3 to 35 per 100,000 population. However, in nearly all Commonwealth countries fatality and injury rates are rising rather than falling. In 2015 Commonwealth countries strongly supported the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which include commitments to road safety. Urgent action is now required to ensure that road deaths and serious injuries across the Commonwealth are halved by 2030.

RoadSafe is delighted to be part of the new Commonwealth Road Safety Initiative (CRSI) which will address the action needed to prevent a decade of predictable and preventable death and serious injury on the roads of Commonwealth countries. The CRSI hosted by the Towards Zero Foundation, under the patronage of His Royal Highness, Prince Michael of Kent, has brought together a distinguished panel of road safety experts to prepare a report of recommendations for Commonwealth countries. Building on established Commonwealth commitments to youth, health, and the SDGs, the CRSI will highlight the importance of:

• setting a Commonwealth target to halve road deaths and serious injuries by 2030;
• prioritising road safety as a key focus issue for child and adolescent health;
• adopting the Safe System Approach to road injury prevention in high, middle, & low-income Commonwealth countries;
• action to promote safer roads, safer vehicles, and safer road users;
• promoting good governance and road safety;
• promoting workplace road safety;
• building multi-sector Commonwealth partnerships for road safety;
• integrating road safety within the Sustainable Development Goals.