The Fourth Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety (Ministerial Conference), called on stakeholders to formally commit to achieving the global target of reducing road traffic deaths and injuries by 50% by 2030. Government delegations were invited to make national commitments that were “based on the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 and previously agreed upon Global road safety performance targets”. It was stated that “ideally, commitments will be SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound.” Examples were provided including “new road safety policies or legislation; improvements to road infrastructure or vehicle regulations; strengthened trauma care or data collection systems; as well as additional funding.”
The Alliance designed a Commitment Assessment Form (Form) to monitor the commitments made in the plenary. The form enabled real-time documentation and independent assessment of each commitment. These completed forms have been analyzed and compiled into the summary below. The summary aims to guide members in their Conference follow up and keep governments accountable for their commitments.
Two Alliance staff members listened to each of the two 30-minute commitment sessions in the Conference program to actively listen and record key details using the Forms. They independently noted down all the key details to ensure consistency. Another Alliance staff reviewed all the completed forms and cross-checked information between the two recorded forms then further validated by listening to the recordings available on the NARSA Youtube channel. A fourth Alliance staff member reviewed the analysis to identify and resolve any ambiguities.
The analysis in this summary is provided on an ‘as is’ basis based on the Alliance’s interpretation as per the methodology above and may be subject to other interpretations. We actively encourage you to listen to the commitments to form your own assessment and to effectively follow up with your government.
Over the two commitment sessions during the Conference, a total of 30 countries were called to the stage but four of those countries were not present to come to the stage (Kyrgyzstan, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, and the UK). A total of 25 countries came to the stage to publicly announce their commitments. All but one (Sudan) was from a government representative (Sudan’s commitment was made by a UNESCO representative).
Across the Alliance’s four regions, 25 countries publicly announced their commitments comprising Africa, Asia, and Europe, North America, and Australasia. No country from Latin America made a commitment.
The commitments were reviewed to assess whether they covered the five Alliance’s Priority Interventions proven to reduce road deaths and injuries, as outlined in the Alliance Accountability Toolkit. They include 30 km/h, Lower speed limits, Traffic calming, Pedestrian facilities, and Motorcycle helmet law, enforcement, and promotion (including helmet standard). Other actions mentioned in the commitments were also noted.
15 of 25 countries (60%) mentioned at least one Priority Intervention and 21 of 25 countries (84%) mentioned other evidence-based actions (not mutually exclusive), meaning 24 of 25 countries mentioned at least one evidence-based action. However, at the same time, 16 of 25 countries (64%) also mentioned at least one action where the evidence base is uncertain based on the available literature or due to the commitment wording being insufficiently clear.
Other evidence-based actions mentioned in the commitments include speed management, safe roads/infrastructure, vehicle safety standards, post-crash care, strengthening laws and regulations on road safety, Safe System Approach, Vision Zero, sustainable funding mechanisms for road safety, data collection for crash analysis, safe school zones, licensing scheme, national coordination, and public education/awareness campaigns (evidence suggests public awareness campaigns can be effective when combined with enforcement.)[1]
The commitments were assessed to see if they mentioned a clear timeline or a target date for actions. We assessed that 14 of the 25 countries (56%) mentioned a timeline (2030 or earlier) for at least one of their stated actions. Five of the 25 countries (20%) mentioned 2030 broadly but did not attach it to specific actions. Six of 25 countries (24%) did not mention any timeline.
Aligned to our Call to Action, we assessed whether commitments mentioned financing for their proposed actions. We assessed that 3 of the 25 countries (12%) mentioned financing for a stated action. However, no country mentioned a specific amount.
We assessed whether the commitments mentioned engagement with NGOs in alignment with our Call to Action. Three countries (12%) mentioned NGO engagement.
We assessed whether the commitments mentioned actions to support victims and their families following a crash. We assessed that 6 of the 25 countries (24%) mentioned victim support.
We assessed that 5 of the 12 African countries (42%) mentioned ratification of the Africa Road Safety Charter. They are countries that are yet to ratify. Burkina Faso, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Togo.
The Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030, launched by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations, aims to reduce global road traffic deaths and serious injuries by at least 50% by 2030, guiding member states and stakeholders on how to achieve this target through proven interventions and best practices.
The Safe System Approach is a holistic, proactive strategy that aims to eliminate fatalities and serious injuries on roads by considering all elements of the road system – people, vehicles, roads, speeds, and post-crash care – as interconnected and interdependent.
Vision Zero is a global strategy aiming to eliminate all traffic fatalities and serious injuries by taking a systemic approach to road safety, recognizing that such outcomes are preventable.
[1] Turner, B., Job, S., & Mitra, S. (2021). Guide for Road Safety Interventions: Evidence of What Works and What Does Not Work. World Bank, Washington, DC., USA.
