Success of Global Road Safety Week

16 May 2019

IDuring the  Fifth UN Global Road Safety Week (6th -12th May 2019) , thousands of road safety advocates from around the world highlighted the need for more effective leadership for road safety. Strong leaders - both government and nongovernment alike - are those who #SpeakUp for road safety and act on the concrete interventions which have proven to save lives.

Despite progress, road traffic deaths continue to rise, with an annual 1.35 million fatalities. Road traffic injuries are now the leading killer of children and young people aged 5-29 years. Globally, of all road traffic deaths, pedestrians and cyclists account for 26% and motorcycle riders and passengers account for 28%. The risk of a road traffic death remains three times higher in low-income countries than in high-income countries, with rates highest in Africa (26.6 per 100 000 population) and lowest in Europe (9.3 per 100 000 population).

Leadership for road safety is a key component of efforts at national and local levels and will be an important theme during the 3rd Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety to be hosted by the Government of Sweden in Stockholm on 19-20 February 2020. Delegates from around the world from sectors such as transport, health, interior and others will review progress in the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020 and define the urgent steps needed to accelerate action to reach road safety targets, including the 12 newly established global performance targets.