Establishing the Congressional Caucus on Global Road Safety in the United States
In 2004, the Association for Safe International Road Travel (ASIRT) identified several key members of the United States Congress to lead Government involvement in global road safety. The effort, capitalizing on the growing momentum for action on road safety globally, was reinforced by the launch of the World report on road traffic injury prevention on World Health Day 2004.
In June 2004, ASIRT sponsored a high-profile event in Washington, DC to launch the Congressional Caucus on Global Road Safety, a bipartisan group dedicated to increasing awareness among legislators about the road safety crisis and effective responses. ASIRT and the Caucus cosponsor educational briefings, hearings and timely public statements on road safety issues.
These efforts have resulted in the passage of several key road safety resolutions in the United States Congress, including support for an annual day of remembrance for road traffic injury victims; United States Government involvement in the First Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety; and the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011–2020. While they are effective, there is no doubt that fostering these sorts of ongoing collaborations requires a long-term commitment to nurturing the relationships involved and a focus on concrete activities and outcomes. Visit: http://www.asirt.org/