The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that 1.35 million people die every year with 20 to 50 million more being injured because of road crashes. Young people aged 15-29 are the most affected with more than half of road traffic deaths happening to vulnerable road users which include pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists. To address this, WHO released the first Decade of Action for Road Safety in May 2011 for the years 2011 – 2020.

The First Decade of Action
The first Decade of Action for Road Safety was officially proclaimed by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly. The overall goal of the first Decade was to stabilize and reduce the number of road traffic fatalities by 2020 as presented under General Assembly Resolution 64/233 and under the Sustainable Development Goals as SDG 3.6. 

To achieve the goal under the Decade of Action, WHO and the UN in collaboration with the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration (UNRSC) and other stakeholders prepared a Plan of Action for the Decade to serve as a guiding document to support the implementation of the Decade’s objectives.

The global plan of action was guided by five pillars; road safety management, safer roads and mobility, safer vehicles, safer road users, and post-crash response. The plan focuses on the ways to prevent road crashes from ever happening. Among the best practices recorded include speed reduction efforts, using seatbelts, child restraints, and helmets, laws against drinking and driving, safer vehicles on the road, and pre-hospital and trauma care.

In the UN Progress Report of Goal 3 in 2019, it was revealed that, despite the global plan and the efforts of partner organizations and member states, the goal to halve the number of fatalities on the road would be difficult to achieve by 2020.

The New Decade of Action 
During the 3rd Ministerial Conference on Road Safety held last February 2020, seventy ministers and 1,700 delegates from around the world assessed the First Decade. The Conference produced the Stockholm Declaration – a forward-looking document that connects road safety to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which includes targets centered around road safety.

In September 2020, the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution A/RES/74/299 otherwise known as “Improving Global Road Safety”, proclaiming the New Decade of Action for Road Safety set for 2021 – 2030. The new Decade reaffirms the commitment to work tirelessly for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and extends the road safety target of halving the number of road-related fatalities from 2020 to 2030.

The Decade emphasizes the role of the UNRSC as a consultative mechanism to facilitate international road safety cooperation and urges stakeholders to begin or continue working toward the achievement of the Decade’s target. WHO and the UN regional commissions in partnership with the UNRSC have developed a Global Plan for the Decade of Action to be released in October 2021.

Youth and the Decade of Action
The Decade of Action for Road Safety names young people as supporters who can help achieve the target of reducing road fatalities. The first Decade invites young people to serve as ambassadors for road safety, to join youth assemblies, and ensure the safety of roads around schools.

The new Decade encourages member states, especially young people, to promote road safety knowledge and awareness through education, training, and publicity campaigns to propagate good road safety practices in the community. The document also emphasizes that youth are the most vulnerable road users and that member states should implement road safety policies that will protect young people from road-related deaths and injuries. 

“Is there any group better placed to act as role models, lead peer education, raise awareness, mobilize communities and advocate for change?” – Floor Lieshout 

Young people claiming their space 
During the 2nd World Youth Assembly, youth of the world say enough is enough! Through Global Youth Statement for Road Safety, a document created through the global youth consultations that echo young people’s demands for commitments for road safety and sustainable mobility, young people are claiming their space and are taking action to end the loss of lives on the world’s roads. 

“We (youth) have been seen as ‘problematic road users’ – as the group in society that is reckless, takes risks, and overestimates their abilities. Why then are young people more likely to die in low- and middle-income countries than in high-income countries? It is the unsafe mobility system that is failing us. Stop blaming, start protecting and engaging us”  

Today, the Global Youth Coalition for Road Safety has nearly 700 members from over a hundred countries around the world. The Coalition offers its members support in the form of resources, capacity development, and partnerships to empower them to take action on road safety and sustainable mobility in their communities and regions. 

In her statement during the 3rd Ministerial Conference on Road Safety, Omnia El Omrani, co-chairperson to the 2nd World Youth Assembly for Road Safety, told global ministers “It’s time to stop killing our dreams! We, as young people, have seen and felt the devastating impact of road crashes on our families, friends, and communities. Today, we are claiming our space at the decision-making table. We will no longer accept being marginalized. We ask that you start treating young people as equal partners for the global goals for safe mobility.” 

Raquel Barrios, Project Manager of the Global Youth Coalition for Road Safety, also expressed during the Ministerial how world leaders have failed young people in efforts to address road safety during the First Decade of Action. 

“We want to be the last generation facing this global mobility crisis. It’s time to wake up! Strong political will and moral responsibility are crucial. And to be honest, at this point, many of us have lost all belief in our decision-makers to lead the change. You may not have been part of the decisions made in the past but you have the power to act today and tomorrow. And we, the youth, will also play our part as active citizens in society. We want to be part of the solution as equal partners” 

What happens now?
On 28 October 2021, the World Health Organization will launch the Global Plan for the new Decade of Action for Road Safety. The document will guide member states and other stakeholders on how to take action and achieve the targets listed in the new Decade.

Through the Global Youth Coalition for Road Safety, we are empowering young people to address road safety and sustainable mobility issues in their areas. The Coalition is also creating and fighting for spaces where young people can be meaningfully involved and engaged when it comes to local and global policy-making and decision-making strategies.

The launch of the Global Plan will support the Global Youth Statement and help empower youth to make impactful changes for road safety in their communities. Find out how you can get involved with youth-led road safety efforts, join the Global Youth Coalition for Road Safety today! 

JOIN THE GLOBAL YOUTH COALITION FOR ROAD SAFETY

We are delighted to announce that the FIA Foundation has partnered with YOURS – Youth for Road Safety and the Global Youth Coalition for Road Safety (the Coalition) to bolster global youth advocacy. With this new 3-year partnership (2021-2023), we aim to elevate youth leadership in the road safety agenda and arm young people with the tools to hold decision-makers to account.

With over 640 members from 101 different countries, the Coalition empowers young people by equipping them with resources, skills, partnerships, and opportunities to take action on road safety and mobility issues within their communities, countries and globally. 

The FIA Foundation through its Child Health Initiative puts child and youth rights at the core of their work. The safe and healthy journeys mission, central to its Adolescents 2030 advocacy,  aims to place safe environments and young people at the heart of the international adolescent and youth agenda and amplify the voices of youth worldwide. 

The anchor for the FIA Foundation’s youth engagement will be the Global Youth Coalition, with a focus on enhancing meaningful youth participation globally and mainstreaming the safe mobility agenda. 

FIA Foundation Executive Director Saul Billingsley said: “The FIA Foundation Advocacy Hub is supporting our coalition of partners to help deliver the policy changes to deliver streets for all, including young people who are more likely to be killed by vehicles than any other cause from the ages of five to 29. We are pleased to support YOURS, through the Global Youth Coalition, to engage and amplify the voices of global youth in the safe mobility agenda.”

The partnership between the Youth Coalition and FIA Foundation will invest and support the Coalition’s work to empower young people across the globe in leading youth-driven and youth-focused advocacy efforts aimed at enhancing and promoting youth leadership. 

FIA Foundation joins as a partner specifically on advocacy alongside the Coalition’s programme partners which include TotalEnergies Foundation and Michelin Corporate Foundation. 

On the partnership, Floor Lieshout, Executive Director of YOURS – Youth for Road Safety said: 

“ FIA Foundation and YOURS have been working together for almost 10 years on a wide range of projects and UN Global Road Safety Weeks. Today  I am proud to welcome them as a new partner of the Global Youth Coalition for Road Safety. Together we will support a new generation of road safety advocates and offer them opportunities to demand road safety.”

Last Thursday, September 30, the Global Youth Coalition for Road Safety along with FIA Foundation and Restless Development led an official side event under the All4Climate – an event that gathers different stakeholders on climate, mobility, and air quality where they can share their contributions to the upcoming Conference of Parties (COP). 

The event featured speakers from different sectors around the world including; Jean Todt from FIA, Estiara Ellizar, Omnia el Omrani, and Soumita Chakraborty from the Global Youth Coalition for Road Safety, Maíne Celidonio – the Secretary of Mobility of Rio de Janeiro, Andrea San Gil Leon – the Founder of the Center for Urban Sustainability in Costa Rica, Welmoed Neijmeijer – the co-chair of Micro Mobility for Europe, and Prarthana Borah – the Director of Clean Air Asia. The session was hosted by Sheila Watson from FIA Foundation and Benard Isiko from Restless Development. 

The session began with a message from Jean Todt encouraging stakeholders to involve young people in global and local efforts to address the climate and mobility issue. “Young people are at the heart of the climate agenda. Not only are they the victim but they are also the ones taking charge to address climate issues”.

Global Youth Coalition members Estiara Ellizar and Soumita Chakraborty talked about the policy papers they created through the Coalition that ties the Climate and Sustainable Mobility targets with road safety and sustainable mobility. Both highlighted the efforts young people could take to contribute to the efforts in creating streets for life and curbing climate change.

The session also included a panel discussion participated by Omnia El Omrani, Maíne Celidonio, Andrea San Gil Leon, Welmoed Neijmeijer, and Prarthana Borah. The panel talked about issues from youth initiatives to address climate and road safety concerns to the challenges being faced by the global and local communities when it comes to turning cities into safer spaces.

In her discussion, Andrea talked about the importance of prioritizing city design to help further efforts to achieve the targets set in the global goals.

“Sustainability needs to go beyond green – cities are where most people live and most of the environmental issues happening now will happen in cities” – Andrea San Gil Leon

To share his experiences and motivations to continue his climate activism, Loay Radwan from the UN Youth Envoy talks about the importance of youth coming together to fight for their space and take the lead when it comes to climate action. 

“Youth need to stand together and keep up their demands. Don’t let anyone undermine your work and don’t let anyone make fun of what you’re doing because we are the ones who will inherit this planet. Just like the road, this is our responsibility”

The session was capped off by World Health Organization Director of the Department for Social Determinants of Health, Dr. Etienne Krug, who encouraged the participants of the event to take everything from the session to COP. He also expressed how creating streets for life is crucial to fighting the climate crisis, saying “make walking cycling and public transport safe if you want to address climate change”.

If you want to get involved in efforts to curb climate change and address road safety and mobility issues, join the Global Youth Coalition!

JOIN THE GLOBAL YOUTH COALITION FOR ROAD SAFETY

The Global Youth Coalition for Road Safety, FIA Foundation, and Restless Development are partnering up to lead Move4Change: Mobilising youth for the converging agendas of sustainable mobility, air quality, and climate change – an official side event under All4Climate under Pre-COP or the Conference of Parties. Happening this Thursday, September 30, at 3 PM CET, the event will bring together youth leaders, policymakers, and decision-makers from around the world to talk about the environment, climate action, public health, and road safety. 

Included in the event is a panel discussion on mobilizing youth for converging the agendas of safe, active, sustainable mobility, and air quality for tackling climate change. The speakers include Omnia el Omrani from the Global Youth Coalition for Road Safety and the International Federation for Medical Student’s Association (IFMSA), Maíne Celidonio – the Secretary of Mobility of Rio de Janeiro, Andrea San Gil from the Center for Urban Sustainability in Costa Rica, Welmoed Neijmeijer from Micro-Mobility for Europe, and Prarthana Borah from Clean Air Asia. 

Learn more about our panelists: 

ANDREA SAN GIL
Andrea is passionate about people, cities, and nature, trying to reduce social vulnerability and increasing the quality of life in cities through sustainable and regenerative solutions. She is the Founder and Chair of the Center for Urban Sustainability in Costa Rica, Co-Founder of Agile City Partners, and part of the team behind the Global Partnership for Informal Transportation. She has over a decade of experience working with governments, international cooperation, civil society, and the private sector.

MAÍNE CELIDONIO
Maína Celidonio holds a PhD in Economics at PUC-Rio and currently works as Secretary of Transport of the City of Rio de Janeiro. Graduated in Economics from PUC-Rio, has a master’s degree in Economics with an emphasis on Labor Studies and Social Policies. She was the director of the Department of Economic Development at Instituto Pereira Passos and an analyst in Impact Assessment for Project Management at Itaú Unibanco.

OMNIA EL OMRANI
Omnia is a young medical doctor at Ain Shams University in Egypt. She is currently serving as the Liaison Officer for Public Health Issues for the International Federation of Medical Students’ Association, representing the voice of more than 1.3 million medical students from 140 countries worldwide. She is leading IFMSA’s external work in the areas of climate change, planetary health, and non-communicable diseases as the organization’s focal point to the United Nations Framework on Climate Change and the WHO Climate Change Unit.

PRARTHANA BORAH
Prarthana has over two decades of experience in strategic planning and management of large budget projects on Air Pollution, Climate Change, Biodiversity Conservation, and Education for Sustainable Development. She is an experienced facilitator of partnerships for environmental and development issues between and with governments, donors, civil society, and the private sector to influence policy and action. Prarthana is currently India Director of INGO Clean Air Asia where she is responsible for leading a team of researchers, scientists, and managers.

WELMOED NEIJMEIJER
Welmoed Neijmeijer is Co-Chair of Micro-mobility for Europe and Head of Public Policy at Bolt. Welmoed is passionate about helping people live more sustainably and believes businesses are in a great position to reduce the impact on the environment by helping people to make more conscious choices such as offering sustainable products and services or by supporting a transition to a more sustainable lifestyle.  Micro-Mobility for Europe is a coalition of shared micro-mobility providers such as short-term rental of electric scooters.

Get involved and join the conversation by registering for our event! Sign-up is free!

REGISTER FOR MOVE4CHANGE

YOURS Executive Director Floor Lieshout and YOURS Communications Officer Maolin Macatangay join the House of Representatives’ Standing Committee on Transport 1^st Meeting with the theme “Towards the Second Decade of Action for Road Safety: Sharing Responsibilities, Engaging Young People” last Friday, September 17, to talk about YOURS, the Global Youth Coalition for Road Safety, and meaningful youth participation. 

Sharing Responsibilities, Engaging Young People
According to the Thailand House of Representatives, road traffic injuries continue to be a public health and security thread for Thailand throughout the last decade. They note that road crashes are responsible for 20,000 deaths and one million injuries every year.

Despite efforts to improve the situation, the Global Status Report for Road Safety still reports Thailand to be one of the top ten countries with the highest road traffic deaths. According to data from the House of Representatives, one in three road traffic deaths in Thailand involved young people aged between 15 – 29 years old. Data from Thailand’s Department of Disease Control reports that the last decade has seen the loss of 53,000 young people to road crashes.

The Thailand Government has demonstrated efforts to save lives on their roads; the Master Plan for Road Safety (2017 – 2020) includes targets to promote road safety behaviors among young people. They have also enforced measures to curb drink driving by limiting the alcohol consumption of drivers through the Alcohol Control Act.

There are still some gaps that remain when it comes to addressing road crashes. Following significant developments on road safety at a global level and the local situation of road traffic deaths In Thailand, the Standing Committee on Transport of the House of Representatives organized a meeting following the theme “Toward the Second Decade of Action for Road Safety: Sharing Responsibilities, Engaging Youth” 

YOURS Intervention 
The House of Representatives invited YOURS – Youth for Road Safety to talk about interventions to engage and involve young people in road safety efforts in a session titled Young People and International Road Safety. To begin, YOURS Executive Director Floor Lieshout talked about the philosophy that guides YOURS in efforts to meaningfully engage and involve young people.