United Nations Road Safety Collaboration

In response to the growing road traffic injury epidemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank jointly developed and launched the World Report on Road Traffic Injury Prevention (2004).This report highlights the magnitude of the problem of road traffic injuries, outlines the principal risk factors, and describes the interventions shown to be effective in reducing road traffic deaths and injuries. The World Report offers countries six recommendations for action on road safety at both national and international levels. In UN Resolution 58/289, Improving global road safety, the United Nations General Assembly recognized the need for the United Nations system to support efforts to address the global road safety crisis and invited WHO, working in close cooperation with the United Nations Regional Commissions, to act as coordinator on road safety issues within the United Nations. WHO accepted the invitation through formal adoption of World Health Assembly Resolution (WHA) 57.10 on May 22, 2004.

Since then, the WHO facilitated the development of a group of UN and other international road safety organizations – now referred to as the "UN Road Safety Collaboration” (UNRSC).  The UNRSC comprises over 40 UN and international agencies working in road safety, with a broad range of skills and experience from the transport, health, and safety sectors, and representing governmental and  nongovernmental organizations, donors, research agencies, and the private sector.

The UN Road Safety Collaboration meets biannually, with meetings alternating between WHO headquarters and the UN Regional Commissions offices. To date, the collective efforts have focused on implementation of the six recommendations of the World Report on Road Traffic Injury Prevention. 

  • Publishing and disseminating ‘good practice’ guides that provide technical guidance on the major risk factors; i.e. drink-driving, excessive speed, helmet and seat belt use;
  • Global and regional advocacy efforts;
  • A guide to advocate commemoration of the annual World Day of Remembrance for road traffic victims;
  • Efforts to increase road safety funding.

In October 2005, the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 60/5. Improving global road safety invited WHO, in collaboration with the UN Regional Commissions, to coordinate the first United Nations Global Road Safety Week, targeted towards young road users. The First Global Road Safety Week was held 23 -29 April 2007.  The World Youth Assembly held on the 23-24 April, assembled young ambassadors from over 100 countries.  The delegates participated in the two-day event which included an essay competition, a global road safety film competition, and culminated in the drafting of the Youth Declaration for Road Safety.

For more information on the UNRSC and to access their publications, visit the UN Road Safety Collaboration website: