This year, WHO joined the global community to commemorate the Fifth UN Global Road Safety Week marked on 6 – 12 May 2019 with the aim to acknowledge that strong leadership is needed to advance road safety in countries and communities and achieve related Sustainable Development Goal and other global targets. The theme was  leadership for road safety highlighting the fact that most effective leaders are those who #SpeakUp for road safety and take action.

It’s important to recognize that all of us, as individuals, can be leaders for road safety!

A number of activities were organized in Tanzania to 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.

WHO participated in the press conference and symposium organized by TAMWA and TAWLA. The main outcome of the symposium was a resolution made to support the government to work towards having a National Action Plan, which will stipulate steps that the country will take to adopt the Global Voluntary targets and strategize for 50 by 2030. A few schools were also visited to document challenges that children face on the road and key actions that children would like their leaders to work on. Children demands included low speed limit in school zones, zebra crossing, speed bumps and strict police traffic enforcement around school areas.  A round table discussion with the Tanzania Road Safety Members of Parliament Network was also convened to share demands made by road users (through the school visits and a documentary prepared by Road Safety Fellows) and request members of Parliament to support the Road Traffic Act amendments. 

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!