Current Regional and National Initiatives
Recognizing the importance of regional and national commitment, GRSF helps to build regional and national capacity through the facilitation of multi-sectoral collaborations.
Latin America and the Caribbean
The Global Road Safety Forum is a member of the Transitional Commission for Road Safety in Latin America and the Caribbean and provides support to the Commission Secretariat. President Óscar Arias Sánchez, a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, serves as Honorary Chair. Working with key partners on the Commission, GRSF contributes strategic planning and collaborative facilitation to the development of the Regional Committee that will succeed the Transitional Commission. This regional body will promote the development of national and regional road safety action plans throughout the region. To learn more about the Regional Committee, the history behind its development, and President Oscar Arias’ call for “Peace on our Roads” in the Latin America and Caribbean section of this site ►
On December 5th & 6th, 2007, the Second Latin American and Caribbean Road Safety Forum was held in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. The Forum, a Transitional Commission event, convened national Ministers of Transport, Health, Law Enforcement and their delegates; representatives from non-governmental organizations, members of the private sector from the fields of infrastructure, road safety engineering, vehicle manufacturing, development and investment, commercial transport, and trade and tourism; and members of civil society engaged in public health policy, road safety advocacy, victims services, academia, and foundation representatives with a public policy, economic development or public health strategic focus. The group met to review the work of the Transitional Commission in defining the structure and framework of the Regional Committee on Road Safety. Over 100 stakeholders contributed to the committee charter and work plan priorities. Read the full meeting summary ►
Read more about the Regional Committee, the history behind its development and President Oscar Arias’ call for “Peace on our Road” in the Latin American and Caribbean section of this site ►
EDU-CAR: a National Road Safety Plan for The Children of Uruguay
In Uruguay and globally, road traffic collisions are the leading cause of death and injury in children 0-17. Safety restraints and child passenger seats are proven interventions that reduce child fatalities and injuries. Seat belts reduce the risk of death due to a collision by 45 to 60%, child safety seats by 54% and infant seats by 70%. Although over 50,000 children are born in Uruguay each year, fewer than 2,000 car seats are imported annually. The Global Road Safety Forum in partnership with the Gonzalo Rodriguez Memorial Foundation, the CDC National Center for Injury Prevention and Bidez & Associates is conducting a pilot project in Uruguay to better understand the dimensions of child road traffic injuries and to increase child safety restraint usage.
As a key safety intervention, a child safety restraint project was selected as a first step towards a comprehensive child road user safety program that could be spread throughout the region. The pilot will build capacity for data collection, advocacy and implementation and create a replicable model to address additional road safety factors. The project will establish a comprehensive and accurate data system to quantify child road traffic deaths and injuries; identify contributing risk factors amenable to intervention, and provide an objective basis to evaluate the effectiveness of road safety programs aimed at improving child road safety.
EDU-CAR was officially launched on December 18, 2007 at a press conference
at the Presidential Palace in Uruguay. UNASEV, a government commission established by President Tabare Vasquez to address the road traffic injury epidemic , is working closely with EDU-CAR team to develop effective strategies for addressing road safety in Uruguay. On June 8, Uruguay required all vehicle occupants to be properly restrained. The Global Road Safety Forum and project team are working to develop safe guidelines and recommendations for implementation of this policy.
The EDU-CAR team is working with public, private and civil society partners to collect data on restraint usage and determine attitudes towards restraints. This project is funded in part by the World Bank Global Road Safety Facility and the FIA Foundation.
Read the press coverage on this event ►
South Asia
In 2007, stakeholders from South Asia gathered in New Delhi, India, for an International Workshop on Road Safety Education in Developing Countries. The group drafted and signed the Delhi Declaration calling for the implementation of a comprehensive 6-point plan of action which included development of a regional road safety organizing committee. The meeting, hosted by the Institute for Road Traffic Education (IRTE), was held in conjunction with the International Workshop on Road Safety Education for Developing Countries. Key stakeholders from India, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam exchanged best practices and identified the key contributors to road safety deficits throughout the region. Read more about the IRTE and progress in the region in the Asia and Pacific section of this site ►