Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020
Road traffic injuries constitute a major health and development problem the world over but especially in the African Region. The landmark World Report on Road Traffic Injury Prevention published in 2004 drew attention to the magnitude, causes and consequences of road traffic injuries. It also made recommendations on what needed to be done to stem the tide of the rising casualties from road traffic injuries. Since then many countries have taken measures to address the problem. The projections show that road traffic injuries will increase except decisive action is taken to tackle the problem.
In November 2009 the first Ministerial Conference on Road Safety held in Moscow, Russian Federation, called on the United Nations to proclaim a Decade of Action for Road Safety. In March 2010, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming 2011-2020 The Decade of Action for Road Safety. This decade will be launched all over the world on the 11 May 2011.
Why a Decade of Action for Road Safety?
The goal of the decade is to stabilize and then reduce the forecasted level of road fatalities around the world. If this ambitious target is achieved, a cumulative total of 5 million lives, 50 million severe injuries and US$5 trillion will be saved.