Next week sees the launch of the first Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020, with events planned across the world to promote safety for all road users. With the increasing burden of death and disability caused by road-traffic accidents, it was the impetus given by a ministerial conference hosted in Russia in November, 2009, which led to the Decade of Action being announced by the UN General Assembly in March, 2010. To support governments to develop and implement national plans to improve road safety, a global plan has been issued by WHO to provide a framework for worldwide action and to facilitate local activities. The goal is to stabilise and then to reduce forecasted road-traffic deaths around the world by 2020. Specifically, over the decade the goals are to save 5 million lives, 50 million serious injuries, and the equivalent of US$5 trillion. (Author/publisher)
Abstract