Toolkit helps authorities organise ‘Slow Down Days’

12.00 | 28 March 2017 | | 4 comments

Ahead of the UN Global Road Safety Week, the World Health Organisation (WHO) is encouraging local authorities to host ‘Slow Down Days’, and has teamed up with 20’s Plenty to help them organise such an event.

Taking place 8-14 May 2017, the bi-annual UN Global Road Safety Week is timed to coincide with the anniversary of the launch of the Decade of Action for Road Safety on 11 May 2011.

This year it focuses on speed, and encourages drivers to pledge to #SlowDown. The week will set out to ‘increase understanding of the dangers of speed and generate action on measures to address speed, thereby saving lives’.

WHO says that speed contributes to around one-third of all fatal road traffic crashes in high-income countries, and up to half in low and middle-income countries.


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Described as a key component of the week’s initiatives at a local level, Slow Down Days see activities organised on the streets of towns and cities as a way of promoting slower speed limits.

WHO says Slow Down Days provide an opportunity for organisers to show that slower speeds can not only save lives, but also deliver additional benefits for individuals, communities and governments by improving the ‘liveability’ of communities.

To help spread the message across the UK, WHO has teamed up with 20’s Plenty to create a new toolkit – providing step-by-step guidance and practical ideas for engaging the public and drawing the attention of the media.

The guidance includes information on organisation, including providing sample ideas and locations, how to promote it through communications and visuals and other important documents such as sample risk assessments.


Want to know more about speed and road safety?
Online library of research and reports etc – visit the Road Safety Knowledge Centre
Key facts and summaries of research reports – visit the Road Safety Observatory

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    I must say that for once this campaign is actually spot-on. The web address uses the term ‘unroadsafety’ which describes exactly the thinking that underpins most campaigns like this one.


    Duncan MacKillop. No surprise – No accident
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    Charles. Perhaps Mr King of the 20 is plenty campaign can answer those questions as apparently he is now a lead speaker at global conferences. Perhaps someone would also point out the failings of speed only as the main contributor to collisions and deaths.

    As we all know its not just a matter of speed. Of vehicles exceeding the speed limit (which statistically doesn’t contribute as much as it is believed) but the use of inappropriate speed, driving too fast for conditions. Its also about the understanding of space and making use of safe space that also reduces collisions and deaths. Merely concentrating on speed alone will not give the resuts that the 20 is plenty campaign are anticipating.


    Bob Craven Lancs
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    In saying that “speed contributes to around one-third of all fatal road traffic crashes in high-income countries”, are the WHO implying that two-thirds of all fatal crashes in those places involve only *stationary* vehicles?

    I suspect not, but it is not entirely clear what they are saying, they need to be more scientific and more precise. Perhaps they mean “inappropriate speed”, in which case I would say that they have grossly *underestimated* the proportion of crashes involving it. Perhaps someone can expand on exactly what they do mean.


    Charles, England
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    SPEED SPEED SPEED SPEED… ALWAYS SPEED.

    The problem with slowing down is that many drivers will then follow closer on to the vehicle in front. That can be seen on motorways where the 50 mph speed limit is imposed. Traffic closes up. Far too close.

    How about slow down and give safer space as a campaign?

    Actually speeding above the national speed limit is not recognised as a cause in as many accidents as is believed but inappropriate speeds is. Going too fast for the conditions is recognised as a higher causation factor.

    If we were to conjoin the slow down campaign with a give more space campaign I am sure that drivers would come to an understanding that by doing both together their safety and attitude to driving faster and being safer would change.


    Bob Craven Lancs
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