iRAP was proud to be part of this week’s Global Regional Road Safety Observatories Dialogue on Powered Two-wheeler Safety from 11-12 October in Manila.

The event brought together leading global road safety stakeholders – World Health Organisation, Towards Zero Foundation, FIA Foundation, Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP), Global Network of Road Safety Legislators, iRAP and Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS), amongst others – for expert dialogue on motorcyclist safety in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) with a particular focus on countries for which motorcycling is the dominant road transport mode.

The event also saw the launch of a world-first multi stakeholder partnership campaign for the fitment of life saving motorcycle ABS crash avoidance technology in support of the UN Global Goals for Road Safety.

The rate of road fatalities in the ASEAN region is one of the highest in the world with riders of powered two and three-wheelers accounting for the majority of these deaths.

Globally, powered two and three-wheelers represent 29% of all deaths. Alarmingly this figure surges to 62% of all ASEAN road deaths, and in some countries in the region such as Thailand and Indonesia, rider fatalities can be as high as 74%.

iRAP Global Programme Director Greg Smith who presented on the role of safe road infrastructure to reduce motorcyclist fatalities and injuries said, “Significant data is available to provide insights into the safety of the world’s roads for motorcyclists.

“Unfortunately relatively few roads in low- and middle income countries achieve a 3-star or better safety standard and roads with high powered two-wheeler flows often don’t cater well for them.

“Speed management is a priority to save lives and reduce serious injuries, as well as the systematic and scaled up treatment of high-risk road sections with proven and cost-effective safety solutions such as street lighting at intersections and separated motorcycle lanes in the right circumstances,” he said.

During the event, key global experts directly engaged with participants to identify evidence-based interventions to address the unacceptable loss of life due to motorcycle crashes in LMICs.

The event also included a Stop the Crash demonstration enabling participants to learn and see the importance of road safety and standards for safe motorcycling.

The Dialogue is expected to produce a communique on the road safety priorities for jurisdictions in which motorcycle trauma dominates the crash record. The statement will reflect stakeholder consensus and will be available for use in raising awareness and advocating for greater effort in addressing death and injury from motorcycle use. It is expected to be based on the eight recommendations of VTI’s Riding in a Safe System Report.

For more information:

• On the safety of the world’s roads for motorcyclists and the road attributes that matter, explore the iRAP Big Data Tool HERE
• On the event, click HERE
• On the ASEAN Motorcycle ABS Partnership and Campaign, click HERE
• To download the ASEAN Motorcycle ABS Status Report, click HERE
• To download the updated Powered Two- and Three-wheeler Safety Road Safety Manual for Decision-makers and Practitioners, click HERE