Speed Management Program - Bogota, Columbia, wins Royal Award

15 December 2020

The Speed Management Program - Bogota, Columbia, has been awarded a Prince Michael International Road Safety Award for its innovation.

Bogotá set a goal to reduce traffic fatalities by 35% in a decade, from 2017 to 2026. To accomplish this, the city implemented a Speed Management Program (SMP) in 2019. The program was developed by former Mayor Enrique Peñalosa´s administration (2016-2019) and began by targeting specific high-risk corridors. It has been continued by the administration of current Mayor Claudia Lopez and scaled-up city-wide. The combined effort of both administrations is generating positive outcomes, reducing traffic crashes and saving lives.

During the 2000’s, the number of fatalities in Bogotá has plateaued between 500-600 per year for the last decade. In 2016, vulnerable road users accounted for 96% of all fatality victims and 72% of all fatalities occurred on arterial roads. In response to this data, a SMP was designed to help reach its annual goal of reducing the number of road crash victims and to promote more sustainable mobility choices, improve the road environment and ensure the safety of all road users. The programme was delivered through the  Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety with technical guidance from the WRI Ross Centre which works to reduce traffic crashes and fatalities worldwide, making cities safer by design. By focusing on the needs of people instead of vehicles, the aim is to transform cities and transport options to protect pedestrians, bikers and drivers alike. The work goes beyond traffic safety to make people healthier and more active, while reducing air pollution.