UN chief backs Decade of Action for Road Safety

09.29 | 13 December 2010 |

Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General, has lent his support to the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020, to be launched 11 May 2011.

The proposal for a decade of action was first made by the Make Roads Safe campaign, which launched an international advocacy effort to win support from UN members. The UN Secretary-General has called on everyone to play their part in increasing road safety.

Each year 1.3 million people are killed on the world’s roads and without action this figure is likely to rise dramatically over the next decade. Developing countries are particularly badly affected, accounting for 90% of global fatalities.

According to some of the world’s leading road safety experts, a significant coordinated effort has the potential to save five million lives and to prevent 50 million serious injuries by 2020.

Ban Ki-moon recently stepped up his support for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020, saying: “All of us can play a part in increasing safety and promoting sustainable transport.

“Millions of lives can be saved if we work together for real action on every highway and every street in every community.”

In a message marking the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims last month, he said: “Many tragedies could be avoided through a set of proven, simple measures that benefit not only individuals and families, but society at large."

Click here for more information about the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020.

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