Why the UN Road Safety Strategy is important to UNDSS?

Road traffic crashes are a leading cause of death and serious injury to United Nations personnel. Road traffic crashes involving UN vehicles are also a cause of fatalities and serious injuries in the communities we serve. The UN Road Safety Strategy was launched in 2019, with the objective of reducing the number of road crashes by 50 per cent by 2030.

Since the adoption of the first Decade of Action (2011-2020) , a multi-sectoral and holistic approach to road safety management has been implemented in the UN. The Strategy manages the interaction between speed, vehicles, road-user behavior, and road infrastructure. The five pillars of the Strategy – road safety management, safer vehicles, safer road users, post-crash response, and safer driving environments — has proven to achieve a comprehensive view of road safety in the UN while providing a conceptual framework to our road safety work.

The ambitious target of reducing road deaths and serious injuries by 50 per cent that were set with the Global Decade of Action for Road Safety (2011-2020) and SDG 3.6, were renewed on 2021. The Second Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 was proclaimed in UN Resolution A/RES/74/299 on Improving Global Road Safety with a target to reduce road deaths and serious injuries by 50 per cent by the end of 2030. The Resolution noted that “…the overwhelming majority of road traffic deaths and serious injuries are preventable and that, despite some improvements in many countries, including in developing countries, they remain a major public health and development problem that has broad social and economic consequences which, if unaddressed, may affect progress towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, The Decade of Action is underpinned by the Global Plan, which is the guide for governments to achieving the 2030 target.”

The launch of the Strategy and the Decade of Action, has contributed to the efforts to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries resulting from road traffic crashes, and we strive to continue towards the target.

For more, visit the website:
https://www.un.org/en/safety-and-security/road-safety