Global Report on Human Settlements 2007 - PoA-ISS

Small-scale hazards: The case of road traffic accidents
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CONCLUDING REMARKS
Traffic accidents are the most significant cause of injury and
death associated with small-scale hazards in urban areas.
<strong>Global</strong> trends indicate that the incidence and impacts of
traffic accidents will increase by 2020 if no action is taken.
High-income countries will experience a decline in road
traffic accident fatalities, while regions dominated by lowincome
countries will experience a phenomenal increase in
mortality from road traffic accidents. The magnitude of loss
both in terms of human life and economic assets is substantial.
However, loss and injury vary greatly across countries,
cities and within cities. Mortality is highest in Asia and
Africa, while Asia and Latin American and Caribbean
countries experience the highest economic losses. Within
cities of developing countries, unprotected road users
(cyclists, pedestrians and motorcyclists) are most vulnerable
to death and injury from traffic accidents, while a proportionately
higher number of people are injured as users of
four-wheel vehicles in developed nations such as the US,
Australia and The Netherlands.
A variety of interrelated factors determines the
incidence and severity of traffic accidents, including behavioural
factors, vehicle factors, road environment,
vulnerability of certain road users and post-accident medical
services. Reducing the risk of traffic accidents in urban areas
thus requires action on a combination of fronts. Successful
policies and interventions to reduce the risk of traffic
accidents combine legislation, enforcement and public
education.
At the international level, frameworks and guidelines
are required to support government actions to reduce traffic
accident risk. Current international cooperation and lobbying
with respect to traffic accidents is encouraging; but lowand
middle-income countries require additional support to
increase their technical and legislative capacities to reduce
risk. At the national level, legislation and policies should be
introduced to improve road user behaviour, road safety
awareness and transport infrastructure investments. Policies
governing levels and rates of motorization at the national
level should consider the consequences of increased motorization
for traffic accident incidence. City authorities should
seek to reduce traffic accident risk through traffic management,
road design and safety, road space allocation, land-use
planning and accident response capacity.
Box 9.10 The first United Nations <strong>Global</strong> Road Safety Week, 23–29 April 2007
In October 2005, the United Nations General Assembly invited the United Nations Regional
Commissions and the World Health Organization (WHO) to jointly organize the first United
Nations <strong>Global</strong> Road Safety Week. The week was modelled after previous road safety weeks
orchestrated by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe and after World Health
Day 2004.
The theme for the week was ‘young road users’ as young people constitute a major
group at risk of death, injury and disability on the road. While the focus was on young road
users, the actions resulting from the week are intended to benefit road users of all ages. During
the course of the week, a large number of local, national and international events were hosted
all over the world. Numerous partners participated in these events, including governments,
United Nations agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the private sector.
The main objectives of this first United Nations <strong>Global</strong> Road Safety Week were to:
• raise awareness about the societal impact of road traffic injuries, highlighting the risks for
young road users;
• promote action around key factors that have a major impact on preventing road traffic
injuries: helmets, seat belts, drink driving, speeding and infrastructure;
• highlight the fact that road safety happens not by accident, but through the deliberate
efforts on the part of many individuals and many sectors of society (governmental and nongovernmental
alike), as emphasized in the slogan for the week:‘Road safety is no accident.’
Sources: WHO, www.who.int/roadsafety/week/en/; General Assesmbly Resolution, 60/5
Box 9.11 The <strong>Global</strong> Road Safety Partnership (GRSP)
The <strong>Global</strong> Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) was initiated in 1999 by the World Bank with
partners from business and civil society, as well as bilateral and multilateral donors. The secretariat
is currently hosted by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent
Societies (IFRC) in Geneva. The GRSP has worked alongside city and national governments
seeking to promote road safety. Activities focus on efforts to change the behaviour of road
users as a means of reducing risk.
In Ghana, work has focused on a Voluntary Code of Conduct, launched in 2004. The
project aims to improve the road safety performance of individuals driving, in particular, for
work purposes by asking them to sign up to a Voluntary Code of Conduct. The code of
conduct increases drivers’ awareness of the primary risk factors involved in crashes, including
excessive speed, alcohol, fatigue and mobile phone use.
In Thailand, among a number of initiatives, the Safer Schools Zones project engages
most with land use. The project has installed pedestrian crossing signs and undertaken education
programmes on road safety with children and local residents, including competitions on
road safety for school children. Monitoring shows that safe behaviour is more common among
children who completed a road safety education course. The behaviour of parents, however,
does not seem to have changed.
In Poland, inadequate pre-hospital care and slow emergency response times lead to
complications and increased mortality from traffic accidents. The need for advocacy and training
on emergency response was recognized and a workshop held with a small group of decisionmakers
and experts. The primary goal of the workshop was to generate action on the part of
key stakeholders in Poland to increase the effectiveness of the pre-hospital care and emergency
preparedness and response systems in Poland. The workshop led to an evaluation of the prehospital
care system in Poland involving experts from the World Health Organization (WHO),
Austrian Red Cross, Holmatro and the World Rescue Organization.
Source: GRSP, www.grsproadsafety.org/