Goals for the Week
The Second UN Global Road Safety Week will draw attention to the need for pedestrian safety, generate action on measures which work to protect pedestrians, and contribute to achieving the goal of the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020 to save 5 million lives.
Short-term goal: a fatality-free week
More than 5000 pedestrians are killed on the world’s roads each week. The short-term goal for the Week is to prevent even a single pedestrian fatality during the period 6-12 May 2013.
There are relatively simple actions that could be taken in advance of the Week to save pedestrian lives. With the support of technical experts, the following interventions could be initiated in communities around the world in the hope of making the Week fatality free:
- raising awareness of existing traffic laws on speeding, drinking and driving, distracted driving and walking, and pedestrian-right-of way;
- increasing enforcement of the above traffic laws;
- making “quick wins” to improve road infrastructure:
- improving lighting around facilities used by pedestrians;
- removing objects from streets which block facilities used by pedestrians;
- improving the safety of routes to and from schools and in school zones, including by establishing “walking school bus” programmes;
- enhancing the visibility of pedestrians by encouraging the use of reflective materials.
Long-term goal: safe walking
The ultimate goal of the Second UN Global Road Safety Week is to make a significant and long-lasting contribution towards making walking safe for the world’s pedestrians.
This could be achieved through a number of measures which are known to save pedestrian lives. Although not an exhaustive list, some of the measures which could be put in place over the long-term include:
- installing and/or upgrading crosswalks, sidewalks, overpasses, underpasses, raised medians, and road signs and signals;
- lowering vehicle speed limits and otherwise “calming” streets with speed bumps, rumble strips and chicanes;
- developing and enforcing new and existing traffic laws on speeding, drinking and driving, distracted driving and walking, and pedestrian-right-of way;
- restricting or diverting vehicles from pedestrian zones;
- establishing and ensuring vehicle safety standards which protect pedestrians;
- improving mass transit route design;
- organizing and/or further enhancing trauma care systems and timely rehabilitation services;
- providing education and training to all road users and the public generally.