The session included the following speakers and topic presentations:

The webinar shared impressive RAP leadership in:

• coordinating and engaging local partners in developing a RAP to launch;
• implementing, tracking and sharing the ongoing results of a 55,000km national assessment to engage high-level decision-makers in vital investment and implementation decisions;
• how to coordinate and implement a country-wide multi-million dollar road upgrade programme; and
• coordinating projects programmes for greatest impact in a region, including in a targeted capacity for vulnerable road users.

Some key highlights included:

TanRoads on behalf of Tanzania shared the country’s progress as the first in the world to implement the Ten Step Plan for Safer Road Infrastructure which provides a template and valuable experience for other countries to follow. TanRAP launched recently as a key milestone of the project, engaging no less than 17 national and global partners for success. National road safety capacity has grown enormously as a result of the project with training opportunities enthusiastically embraced. More than a quarter of all registrations ever globally for iRAP’s Star Rating Essentials course are from Tanzania. In addition, Tanzania has jumped to the third highest country in the world for its number of iRAP Accredited Practitioners (behind India and Brazil), training and accrediting 16 specialists, from a zero baseline in rapid time. (Hear TanRAP’s presentation at 0:23:02 of the recording)

In Brazil, the Federal Government has instituted a landmark Five Year Permanent Agenda for Road Safety to prevent road crashes on highways. iRAP is included as the safety metric with a goal to halve deaths and injuries by 2028. The National Department of Transport Infrastructure (DNIT) is leading a 55,000km national assessment and is harnessing and sharing iRAP assessment data alongside crash and fatality data with incredible visibility supported by Power BI reporting. The reporting puts the results at the fingertips of all partners to inform government decision making for investment and upgrade prioritisation. Such evidence-based leadership is engaging and informing political debate and stakeholder engagement at the highest level which is vital for appropriate strategic investment for life-saving impact. (Hear BrazilRAP’s presentation at 0:35:24 of the recording)

In Australia, the AusRAP programme led by Austroads is showing excellent leadership with a large-scale road upgrade investment programme. Over the last two years, AUD$2.6 billion of funding has been allocated to over 1,000 road safety upgrade projects. In addition, another $150m was committed 12 months ago to support municipalities in rural Australia to improve safety on key roads connecting towns. The programme requires the calculation of RAP star ratings. See more on these tracked investments at www.officeofroadsafety.gov.au (Hear AusRAP’s presentation at 0:50:50 of the recording)

In Europe, five large-scale, multi-country, multi-partner projects over 20 years have provided comprehensive insights into the safety of road users and investment priorities to eliminate high-risk roads across the region.

Three have been delivered in recent years including focusses in the Danube region and vulnerable road users, with a fourth – PHOEBE – just starting. The now finalising SABRINA project has tackled cycling infrastructure safety issues on existing, planned and missing cycling corridors crossing nine countries of the Danube and has produced an innovative Safer Cycling Routes Toolkit (SCRT). The Toolkit shares iRAP, CycleRAP and ECS results to guide users through the process of defining new cycling routes and improvements to existing ones in respect to cycling safety. See the toolkit at https://sabrina-scrt.eu/scrt/ (Hear the EuroRAP presentation at 0:57:40 of the recording)

Thanks to our presenters Kakwi Ngaleson, Luiz de Mello, Michael Nieuwesteeg and Olivera Rozi for sharing their insights.

iRAP’s Global Programme team Judy Williams and Greg Smith also presented a global round-up of national RAP activities and iRAP initiatives. (Watch the recording for a quick catch-up on global happenings from 0:04:00)

Coffee and Connect is an important forum for capacity building and mentorship as national RAPs develop their strategies and action plans for the Second Decade of Action to halve global road deaths and injuries by 2030.

If you’d like to join future Coffee and Connect sessions, please contact judy.williams@irap.org