The International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP) and China’s Research Institute of Highway (RIOH) have signed a renewed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in London, reaffirming their nearly 20-year partnership and shared commitment to eliminating high-risk roads and preventing deaths and serious injuries in China and globally.
Building on a collaboration formalised in 2009, the agreement recognises RIOH’s continuing role as an iRAP Centre of Excellence and ChinaRAP’s contribution to safer roads. It strengthens cooperation in road safety research, assessment, innovation, technology, strategic investment and capacity building.
Over nearly two decades, the partnership has helped embed road safety assessment into China’s national approach to infrastructure design and management. More than 300,000 kilometres of roads have been assessed across China, with ChinaRAP supporting successive phases of the country’s Highway Safety Enhancement Project (HSEP), including the identification and treatment of high-risk roads and the integration of Star Rating targets into infrastructure investment.
Looking ahead, collaboration will support China’s priorities, including implementation of the Safe System Approach through HSEP Phase III, its Action Plan for Work Safety and strengthening the climate resilience of road infrastructure.
The organisations will also explore opportunities in artificial intelligence, intelligent transport systems, advanced road safety technologies, joint research and international partnerships, including with the Belt and Road Initiative, World Bank, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and Asian Development Bank.
As a Centre of Excellence, and member of iRAP’s Global Technical Committee, RIOH will further contribute to the advancement of iRAP’s global protocols, tools and knowledge exchange.
The renewed MOU supports shared ambitions under the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021–2030 to halve road deaths and serious injuries, and the Decade of Sustainable Transport to advance safe, inclusive, green and efficient transport systems.
Greg Smith, CEO of iRAP, said: “RIOH has been an important and valued partner of iRAP helping to advance the science, technology and practical application of road safety assessment, and iRAP’s methodology and tools globally. This renewed agreement reflects the strength of our relationship and our shared ambition for a China and world free of high-risk roads. There are exciting opportunities to combine RIOH’s research excellence and technological innovation with iRAP’s global methodologies and partnerships, particularly in AI, intelligent transport systems, climate resilience and evidence-based road safety investment.”
Yonghong Sun, President of RIOH, said: “Our partnership with iRAP has played an important role in advancing road infrastructure safety research and the development of ChinaRAP over two decades. We greatly value the knowledge exchange, technical cooperation and shared commitment that underpin our partnership. The renewed MOU provides an important platform to deepen our collaboration, bringing together research, innovation and international experience to address emerging road safety challenges.”
The MOU was signed during a Roundtable event in London last Friday, bringing together President Sun and the RIOH delegation with representatives of iRAP, the Road Safety Foundation (United Kingdom RAP lead), FIA Foundation, National Highways, Thatcham Research, the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS), Intelligent Transport Systems UK and Agilysis.
The event provided an opportunity to exchange insights on road safety policy, innovation, technology and Safe System implementation in China and the UK, and explore opportunities for future collaboration.
We express our thanks to RIOH for their ongoing collaboration, and to our UK partners for supporting this important event.
iRAP’s Global Technical Director James Bradford and RIOH President Yonghong Sun (front row, left to right)
with the RIOH delegation (Images credit: iRAP)