The United Nations has launched a road safety trust fund to accelerate progress in improving global road safety. Established at the request of the secretary-general following the suggestion made by UN member states, the fund will mobilise resources from governments, intergovernmental or non-governmental organisations, the private sector, philanthropic organisations and individuals.
An estimated 1.25 million people are killed every year in road traffic crashes, and up to 50 million more are injured, often seriously. Beyond human suffering, road traffic deaths and injuries cause significant economic losses to individuals and societies, keeping millions of people in poverty and creating an estimated $1.85 trillion burden on the global economy each year.
The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) estimates that every $1,500 contributed to the road safety trust fund could save one life, prevent ten serious injuries and leverage $51,000 in road safety investment.
The 2030 agenda for sustainable development, adopted by United Nations Member States in 2015, contains targets on road safety in two of its 17 sustainable development goals which aim to halve the number of global deaths from road traffic accidents by 2020 and provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities and older persons by 2030.
The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) has pledged $10 million to support the fund. Jean Todt, president, FIA and the UN special envoy for road safety underlined the importance scaling up of resources to achieve global road safety targets.
“The fund has the potential to galvanize our global efforts to address the road safety situation, building on the progress made and experience gained over the decade of action for road safety 2011-2020,” he said.
