This week marks the 2nd United Nations Global Road Safety Week which calls for pedestrian safety all around the world. Requested by the UN General Assembly, the Week will draw attention to the urgent need to better protect pedestrians worldwide, generate action on the measures needed to do so, and contribute to achieving the goal of the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020 to save 5 million lives.
We are all pedestrians: on any given day – at a minimum – we begin and end most trips on foot. Yet due to a lack of attention to the needs of pedestrians, and a tendency to favour motorized transport, pedestrians are at risk of death, injuryand disability. While there is no single measure to adequately address the range of risks to pedestrians across various settings, there are many steps that can be taken to improve their safety.
More than 270 000 pedestrians lose their lives on the world’s roads each year accounting for 22% of the total 1.24 million road traffic deaths.
The World Health Organization is calling on governments to take concrete actions to improve the safety of pedestrians.The Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011–2020 offers a broad framework for drawing attention to the needs of pedestrians and putting in place the measures that exist to make walking safe. Ensuring the safety of pedestrians will encourage walking, which impacts positively on health and the environment. Among its many advantages, walking requires no fare, no fuel, no licence and no registration. It is integral to the livability and sustainability of our communities and should regain its place as a safe, convenient and pleasant option for most trips.
Make Walking Safe is a brief overview of pedestrian safety around the world. It covers the following topics:
- Who are killed and injured on the roads as pedestrians?
- How are pedestrian deaths distributed around the world?
- Where and when do the pedestrians collisions occur?
- What happens in a pedestrian collision?
- What are the consequences for injured pedestrians?
- What are the major risks for pedestrians?
- What measures can be taken to protect pedestrians?
You can read more about the UN Road Safety Week in the Press Release attached alongside the Make Walking Safe Advocacy Document in the attachements.
