5th UN Global Road Safety Week highlights need for strong leadership
The Fifth UN Global Road Safety Week acknowledges that strong leadership is needed to advance road safety in countries and communities and achieve related Sustainable Development Goal and other global targets. Thousands of advocates worldwide are taking the opportunity of the Week to #SpeakUp for road safety and call for urgent action on the concrete interventions which have proven to save lives. Such measures, featured in the WHO SaveLIVES technical package, include improving road safety management; making roads, vehicles and road users safe; and enhancing emergency care following a crash. Despite progress in many countries, road traffic deaths continue to rise, with an annual 1.35 million fatalities. Road traffic injuries are now the leading killer of children and young people aged 5-29 years. This is an unacceptable price to pay for mobility. Whether we travel as pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists or drivers, all of us – as parents, students, employees, volunteers and concerned citizens – can be leaders for road safety. When the right to a safe journey is a priority, everybody wins!