On 30 June and 1 July, leaders from across the globe will gather at the United Nations in New York for the first ever High-level Meeting on Road Safety. iRAP is calling on every country to actively participate, share success and commit to implement the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-30 to save lives and serious injuries.

The meeting theme is “2030 Horizon for Road Safety: Securing a Decade of Action and Delivery” and reflects the UN Sustainable Development Goal to halve road deaths and injuries by 2030. It is expected to result in a political decision with aims to address gaps and challenges, mobilize political leadership, promote multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder collaboration, and assess the progress made in attaining the objectives of the road safety-related SDG targets.

“By acting boldly and decisively, with a focus on action and delivery in line with the Global Plan and High-Level Meeting, world leaders can change the course of the road trauma pandemic and save thousands of lives.”

Rob McInerney, iRAP CEO

iRAP has written to the Heads of State in countries via the UN Permanent Missions and encourages RAP Partners to share the letter again from the ground-up with their Head of State and Minister of Transport and relevant Ministries, sharing local success and support for implementation of the Global Plan.

Road trauma impacts every country, every community and every economy.  Road crashes are the leading killer of children and young people worldwide.

Without action at the global level, road crashes are set to cause an estimated 13 million deaths and 500 million injuries during this decade at a cost of more than US$25 trillion to the global economy.

Targeting existing and new investment at proven solutions will save lives, reduce injuries, save money and create jobs as part of national and global responses to road safety.

The Global Plan outlines the coordinated action needed across all sectors including safe and sustainable transport planning; safer road infrastructure, safer vehicles; safer road use; and improved post-crash response. It will require commitment to results-based financing, managing safe speeds, capacity building and new technology with extra support for low and middle-income countries.

In terms of creating safer road infrastructure, policies, results-based financing and action to ensure more than 75% of travel is on 3-star or better roads for all road users by 2030 will unlock the win-win benefits of safer roads.

UN Global Road Safety Performance Targets 3 and 4 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).

Achieving Target 4 by 2030 stands to save 450,000 lives a year and 100 million deaths and serious injuries over 20 years, with $8 of savings for every $1 invested.

iRAP is ready to support partners and governments as they draw on the Global Plan to develop and implement national and local action plans to eliminate high-risk roads:

• See how safer road infrastructure appears in the Global Plan and iRAP is supporting countries to eliminate high-risk roads.
• Explore iRAP’s Vaccines for Roads Big Data Tool for national and global profiles on the impact of injury, how safe the roads are for different road user groups, the road attributes that matter, and the Business Case for Safer Roads in terms of the human and economic savings that can be achieved.
• To connect with national Road Assessment Programmes, see Where We Work and click on your country’s pin.
• Read iRAP’s Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety – Partnerships for 2030 Impact.
• For information on the High-Level Meeting for Road Safety, click here.

The June High-level Meeting follows the Preparatory Event held on 3 December last year which brought together UN Member States and parliamentarians in New York to discuss the critical domestic and international financing needs of the 2nd Decade of Action for Road Safety and how government and NGOs can ensure it is a decade of delivery and results.  iRAP’s CEO Rob McInerney shared his thoughts on how organisations like iRAP and the Global Alliance for Road Safety NGO members provide the passion and the purpose for road safety action; the push and the evidence-based products to support the business case for investment and how they need long-term partnerships to maximise the life-saving potential of their work. Read more on the Preparatory event here.

iRAP has Special ECOSOC Consultative Status to the United Nations.