Road Safety Week 2007

Theme

Children and young people make up a high proportion of the nearly 1.2 million people killed on the world's roads every year. Globally, more than 40% of all road traffic deaths occur among people aged 0–25 years. Because children and young people constitute a major group at risk of death, injury and disability on the roads, the First United Nations Global Road Safety Week will be dedicated to“young road users”, who travel the roads as pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, novice drivers and passengers. While the focus of the Week is on improving safety for children and young people, the actions resulting from the Week, such as initiatives to reduce drink-driving and excessive speeding, will benefit road users of all ages.

Objectives

As with many similar global advocacy initiatives, participants in the First United Nations Global Road Safety Week will aim to draw attention to the theme of the Week and spur governments and civil society organizations into urgent action. The objectives of the Week are:

– to raise awareness about the impact of road traffic injuries, particularly among young road users;

– to promote action around the factors with the greatest impact on road traffic injuries: helmets, seatbelts, drink-driving, speeding and road design and infrastructure.

For many low-income and middle-income countries not yet addressing the problem of road traffic injuries in a significant or comprehensive way, to achieve these objectives will be an important step towards improving the health and well-being of their citizens.

Key Messages:

 1 . Road traffic injuries are a major global public health and development problem. Their magnitude is expected to rise considerably in the years ahead.

Road traffic injuries greatly impact upon young lives. 2

3 . Road traffic injuries can be prevented.

Road safety is no accident. 4

5 . International cooperation is crucial to strengthening national road safety efforts.

Activities

Global - To mark the occasion, events are organized at global, regional, national and local level. On 23–24 April 2007, a World Youth Assembly for Road Safety will be held, modeled on the format of the United Nations General Assembly and involving delegations of young people from all regions of the world. The objectives of this World Youth Assembly are to give a voice to young people; contribute to a shift in attitudes and behavior among your people; encourage and support a cadre of national leaders for road safety; and identify, through a declaration on road safety, specific actions that can be taken by governments, nongovernmental organizations, the private sector, the media and young people to prevent road traffic injuries – and particularly injuries among young people. The criteria for selecting delegates have been circulated among Member States. In addition to developing a declaration on road safety , delegates will have the opportunity to participate in workshops and exchange ideas and experiences on ways to promote road safety in their countries.

Regional - UNESCAP organizes an international exhibition on road safety at its UN Conference centre in Bangkok , Thailand . UNESCAP member countries' initiatives to raise awareness of road safety are showcased. In particular, this includes materials used in road safety campaigns from around the Asia and Pacific region. It should be noted that many messages used in these campaigns are directed at young people, which is in line with the week's overall theme. This event is being organized in collaboration with Thai government departments such as the Royal Thai Police, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, and the Office of Transport Policy, as well as NGOs such as the Don't Drive Drunk Foundation.

National - All over the globe National and local events and campaigns are organised to mark Road Safety Week 2007. To know more about national activities in the Asia Pacific region, click here .