Safety 2010 was a major world conference bringing together stakeholders in the prevention of unintentional injuries and violence from around the world to debate, discuss and exchange information and experiences.
The conference was organised by the WHO Collaborating Centre for Violence Prevention at the Centre for Public Health, Liverpool John Moores University. The conference is co-sponsored by the World Health Organization. The Department of Health, The Health Protection Agency, The Department for Transport and the Department of Education in England supported the conference.
The key theme of the conference was Safe and Equitable Communities. This theme was chosen to reflect the disproportionate burden from almost all types of injuries that falls on poorer communities. Such differences are apparent both within countries, between countries and even between global regions.
The conference highlighted the interface between different sectors, organisations and disciplines. It also examined unintentional injuries and violence linked to age, gender and ethnicity; focus on settings including the home, work, sports and leisure; and explore related environmental and sustainability factors.
Floor Lieshout, Chief Exective of Youth for Road Safety presented a speech in the closing session of the conferece and ‘challenged researchers and professionals to get more involved in road safety’. He highlighted the unprecedented burden facing young people globally while users of the roads and brought much needed attention to this area at the conference.
Mr. Lieshout shared the stage with EuroSafe Netherlands, The World Health Organization and the Karolinska Institute, Sweden. In the closing remarks, it was clear that as a the leading cause of unintentional injury and death of young people globally, road safety would need to sit high on the agenda of the attending organization. Alongside this, Mr Lieshout also chaired a Parallel Session on Young Drivers in which several global organizations participated.
More information about the conference can be found at: http://www.safety2010.org.uk or email: manpreet@youthforroadsafety.org