We were pleased to be part of AmCham Guatemala’s Second International Congress on Road Safety last week shining a light on international standards to protect life and reduce road crashes in the country.

The American Chamber of Commerce of Guatemala (AmCham Guatemala) hosted the event on 10 and 11 March, with 48-hour virtual access provided to national and international conferences and forums featuring high-level speakers.

iRAP’s Safer Journeys Regional Leader for The Americas Edgar Zamora and Star Rating for Schools (SR4S) Coordinator Rafaela Machado presented on the iRAP methodology, tools and training being used in Guatemala and worldwide to eliminate high-risk roads and school journeys. They were joined by SR4S Global Programme Partner 3M represented by Salvador Morales, Applications Engineer of the Transportation Safety Division of 3M Central America and the Caribbean.

iRAP and local partners have already assessed the safety of over 1,000 km of roads, and 46 schools. 20 people have benefited from iRAP training in how to make their roads safer. Guatemala was part of a large Pacific Corridor road safety assessment across 7 countries performed by the Inter-American Development Bank in 2011. Based on the results and Safer Roads Investment Plan, IDB invested around USD$1.76 billion dollars to 2020 to eliminate high-risk road sections and save lives. A recent repeat assessment from Guatemala to Panama, has obtained new Star Ratings to inform continued investment with the potential to save 65,000 lives.

AmCham Guatemala President Juan Pablo Carrasco de Groote said, “Through the Road Safety Congress, the Chamber seeks to deepen understanding of the issues on the culture of mobility, accident reduction, cost reduction for carriers and improvement of the country’s infrastructure, as well as address the human side of road safety through different panels and expert sessions.”

AmCham Guatemala is a non-profit service organization committed to fostering trade between the United States and Guatemala, and providing effective support for members through networking and business facilitation opportunities, government relations, sector committee participation, events, commercial information resources and more.

The greater Association of the American Chambers of Commerce in Latin America and the Caribbean (AACCLA), through its 23 AmChams, represents more than 20,000 member companies and more than 80% of U.S. investment in the region.