The World Health Organization (WHO) and partners have convened a series of workshops to advance laws and regulations to reduce road traffic deaths in Asian nations in the lead-up to the Fourth Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety .
The ASEAN+China Road Safety Capacity Building Workshop on December 11–13 brought together government officials from 11 countries in the WHO Western Pacific and South-East Asia regions in Guangzhou, China, to share knowledge and experience in advancing United Nations road safety regulations.
More than half of the world's 1.19 million annual road deaths occur in the WHO Western Pacific and South East Asia regions and many new vehicles fail to meet UN minimum safety standards. The latest WHO Global Status Report on Road Safety notes that 40% of UN Member States have no vehicle safety laws, and uptake in the WHO Western Pacific and South-East Asia regions is also low.
"The world is going through an unprecedented wave of motorization, with well over a billion motor vehicles on the world's roads. This is unsustainable but while we work to ensure green, efficient and accessible transport, we must also strengthen our efforts to make all motor vehicles safe. This crucial meeting shows that by working together and sharing knowledge, Asian countries can lead the world in advancing vehicle safety and saving lives," said Dr Nhan Tran, Head of Safety and Mobility at WHO.
Participating officials agreed to advance joint research into new and emergency vehicle safety issues, to work together to advance the adoption of safety-focused technologies, share experiences in implementing global vehicle safety standards, and engage in education and awareness raising. The recommendations will feed into the upcoming Fourth Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety.
The workshop was hosted by WHO, The UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the International Motor Vehicle Inspection Committee (CITA), China Automotive Technology and Research Center (CATARC) and the Malaysian Institute for Road Safety Research (MIROS).
WHO also hosted a road safety legislation training for 35 officials from Bangladesh, China, India, Malaysia, and Viet Nam at a linked workshop in Guangzhou, China. The workshop, which is part of the Bloomberg Initiative for Global Road Safety, aimed to help countries identify concrete actions in areas such as managing vehicle speeds and strengthening motorcycle and vehicle safety.
"Case studies from countries across Asia show how evidence-based legislation, quality infrastructure, credible law enforcement, targeted communications and the application of key technologies to strengthen safety saves lives," said Dr. Fangfang Luo, WHO Technical Offer on Safety and Mobility.
The workshop included experts from WHO, the World Bank and other partners, and aimed to equip participants with knowledge and skills in improving road traffic laws in line with UN legislative instruments. Outcomes will also be reflected at the Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety.
