Setting a Commonwealth Agenda for Road Injury Prevention
Every year in Commonwealth countries over 210,000 people are killed in road crashes and millions more are seriously injured. Today road traffic injuries are now the leading cause of death for children and young people aged 5-29 years. This is a major challenge for the Commonwealth as over 60% of its countries’ population is under 30. Road safety in the 54 countries of the Commonwealth is very diverse. Fatality rates in road crashes range from 3 to above 30 per 100,000 population. However, in nearly all Commonwealth countries fatality and injury rates are rising rather than falling. Across the Commonwealth the level of road deaths remains unacceptably high and urgent action is required to prevent the loss of over 2 million lives in the decade to 2030.
The Commonwealth Road Safety Initiative (CRSI) was launched in London on 7th May during the UN Global Road Safety Week and developed a framework for road injury prevention in Commonwealth countries aiming to halve deaths and serious injuries from road crashes by 2030. Hosted by the Towards Zero Foundation, under the patronage of His Royal Highness, Prince Michael of Kent, the CRSI addressed the action needed to prevent a decade of predictable and preventable death and serious injury on the roads of Commonwealth countries.
The CRSI has brought together a distinguished panel of road safety experts to prepare a report of recommendations for Commonwealth countries. Building on established Commonwealth commitments to youth, health, and the Sustainable Development Goals, the CRSI highlights the importance of:
setting a Commonwealth target to halve road deaths and serious injuries by 2030;
prioritising road safety as a key focus issue for child and adolescent health;
adopting the Safe System Approach to road injury prevention in high, middle, & low-income Commonwealth countries;
promoting good governance and road safety;
promoting workplace road safety;
building multi-sector Commonwealth partnerships for road safety;
integrating road safety within the Sustainable Development Goals.
