UN Member States have agreed on 12 Global Road Safety Performance Targets to drive action across the world.  The new targets were formally welcomed by the United Nations General Assembly in the latest UN Resolution on Road Safety agreed on April 12 in New York.  The targets include ensuring all new roads are built to a 3-star or better standard for all road users (Target 3), and more than 75% of travel is on the equivalent of 3-star or better roads for all road users by 2030 (Target 4).

iRAP CEO Rob McInerney said the targets are a win for saving lives and preventing serious injuries on safer roads world-wide, providing a common, global, evidence-based metric that all countries can aspire to and measure the safety of their investment by.

“The announcement of these targets targets highlights the success that many UN Member States are having in setting star rating targets for new and existing roads, and how applying globally recognized evidence-based metrics is providing confidence in safer road investments for Treasury officials, Governments, Road Managers and the Public.  .

The institution and implementation of the global targets will also help meet the United Nations SDG Goals to halve the number of global deaths and injuries (target 3.6); invest in infrastructure to create growth and jobs (target 9.1) and ensure that transport is safe and sustainable (target 11.2).

The iRAP Business Case for Safer Roads provides a high-level global estimate of the lives and serious injuries that can be saved, and the social and economic benefits of maximizing the percentage of travel on 3 star or better roads by 2030. Achieving >75% of travel on 3-star or better roads by 2030 will save an estimated 467,000 lives every year and 100 million lives and serious injuries over the 20-year life of the treatments. Targeted safe roads investment by all countries of 0.1-0.2% GDP per year through to 2030 will unlock this incredible outcome with $8 of benefits for every $1 invested.

“With widespread application of low-cost maintenance safety treatments, well-targeted investment in 3-star or better new infrastructure builds and upgrades, and safer speeds across the global road network, we can meet the targets and save lives on scale,” Mr McInerney said.

For further information:

• UN Resolution on Road Safety, click here.
• UN Road Safety Targets, click here (overview).
• iRAP Star Ratings and why 3-star or better, click here.
• iRAP’s Vaccines for Roads: How Safe are the World’s Roads, the Business Case for Safer Roads and Case Studies of Success, click here.