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Dear road safety colleagues,
The year 2013 is positively racing by, and as planned, it is proving to be a big year for Global Road Safety Partnership. April saw the publishing and release of the sixth in the series of Good Practice Manuals, Pedestrian Safety. Our Asia Seminar was an unbridled success hosting close to 200 road safety experts, practitioners, business representatives and government officials from all over the globe. Stakeholder meetings were held in Vietnam ahead of the launch of our new 'Safe to School - Safe to Home' project in Ha Nam. We also follow developments with projects of our Road Safety Grants Programme, herald our 2013 Africa Seminar, welcome another new Member and more.
As always, we welcome your feedback. Email us anytime, or join us on Facebook and Twitter.
Enjoy!
The GRSP Team |
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Launch of Pedestrian Safety Good Practice Manual
Each year, more than 270 000 pedestrians lose their lives on the world’s roads. Many leave their homes as they would on any given day never to return. Globally, pedestrians constitute 22% of all road traffic fatalities, and in some countries this proportion is as high as two thirds of all road traffic deaths.
April saw the World Health Organization, together with partner organizations including the Global Road Safety Partnership, launch the sixth in a growing series of road safety Good Practice manuals, this edition entitled 'Pedestrian safety: a road safety manual for decision-makers and practitioners' (2013).
Launched just weeks ahead of the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration Global Road Safety Week (May 6-12), this year dedicated to pedestrian safety, the manual equips the reader with necessary information on: the magnitude of pedestrian death and injury; key risk factors; how to assess the pedestrian safety situation in a country or area and prepare an action plan; and how to select, design, implement and evaluate effective interventions. The manual stresses the importance of a comprehensive, holistic approach that includes enforcement, engineering and education. It also draws attention to the benefits of walking, which should be promoted as an important mode of transport given its potential to improve health and preserve the environment.
Click here for more details and to download the full report.
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Wrap Up: GRSP Asia Seminar 2013 - Targeting Vulnerable Road Users
Pedestrians, motorcycle, e-bike and bicycle users are the most vulnerable of all road users, accounting for half of all road traffic deaths. Fortunately, there are ways to protect these road users from harm. This year, the Global Road Safety Partnership Asia Seminar 2013 in Manila, the Philippines, hosted nearly 200 road safety experts, practitioners, business representatives and government officials from all over the world who shared ideas, initiatives and best practices to help reduce road deaths and injuries amongst vulnerable road users in the region.
“The Global Road Safety Partnership Asia Seminar is becoming an increasingly important global event in the GRSP calendar, attracting delegates from all over the world. This seminar is not only a workshop, but it is a platform where people can share ideas and challenges,” stated Pieter Venter, CEO, Global Road Safety Partnership.
The seminar, ‘Targeting Vulnerable Road Users', was on topic with the upcoming Second United Nations Global Road Safety Week (6-12 May 2013) dedicated to pedestrian safety. Key objectives of the seminar were to share knowledge in best practices, provide capacity building, showcase research and promote effective road safety programmes within the region. The seminar also helped stimulate support and entice action for the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety.
Read more.
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GRSP to launch new 'Safe to School - Safe to Home' project in Vietnam
What could be worse than a child leaving home for school one morning, full of the promise of learning and interaction with friends, only to return home seriously injured, or worse, not returning home at all? Sadly, in Vietnam, as well as in many other countries around the world, child road traffic injuries are a serious public health problem, and road safety issues, particularly in areas frequented by school-aged children, are often not specifically addressed.
April saw GRSP take clear and decisive action towards the introduction of its all new 'Safe to School - Safe to Home' project in Ha Nam province in Vietnam. During a meeting with key stakeholders including high level representatives from the Provincial Department of Transport, Ha Nam Provincial Department of Education and Training, the Provincial Traffic Police, Ha Nam Transport Construction and Assembly Consultant Company and local media, participants lent their support to the project and contributed to the project plan.
Read more.
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Building on Success in Africa - GRSP Africa Seminar Dates Announced: September 4-5, 2013
Working to improve data management systems and promote effective pedestrian safety interventions in cities are two critical milestones that require special attention as countries strive towards the realization of the goals of the Decade of Action for Road Safety.
To this end, the Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) and the Sub-Saharan Africa Transport Policy Programme (SSATP) - two organizations that embrace the notion of a world free of road car crash death and injury - collaborated in 2012 to co-host a sub-regional ‘Road Safety in Cities’ conference in Lusaka, Zambia.
Key outcomes of the conference: that city planning and development should be guided by the fundamental principle to move people efficiently and safely; and identifying the need to create regional groups of practitioners, using the existing structure of the Regional Economic Communities (RECs), for the purpose of knowledge sharing, have served to drive the activities of participating countries well into 2013.
Read more.
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Zurich Insurance Group joins GRSP
As one of the largest, and possibly even the largest global motor insurer, Zurich has been active in promoting safe driving for a number of years, both internally through their advanced fleet risk management solutions, and externally to customers. In a move to further the Group's commitment to the sustainable reduction of road traffic crashes, Zurich Insurance Group has become a Member of the Global Road Safety Partnership.
Dr Pieter Venter, GRSP CEO said at the signing of the Membership documents, "In recent times, the insurance industry as a whole has come to recognize the role it can play in road safety. Zurich, in joining the GRSP, is again showing strong leadership within the sector. On behalf of the GRSP team and Steering Committee, I welcome them on board and look forward to sharing knowledge".
Zurich has a well-earned reputation as a thought leader in the field of insurance and work-related road risk management, with initiatives recognized through success in the Prince Michael International Road Safety awards and other fleet-related awards. Furthermore, through Zurich's innovative approach, Zurich customers are achieving a sustainable reduction in collision rates, with some achieving recognition in their own right through the winning of various awards and the signing on as champions in the United Kingdom's ‘Driving for Better Business’ initiative.
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A terrible incident in Jaipur highlights the need for the Good Samaritan Law
In the March edition of our Newsletter we shone the spotlight on the Save LIFE Foundation - a grantee under our Bloomberg Philanthropies funded Road Safety Grants Programme - and looked at their project dedicated to developing policy recommendations and creating awareness to enable Bystander Care - or a Good Samaritan Law - for road accident victims in India.
Sadly, an incident caught on camera this month in Jaipur served to highlight in all too graphic detail the desperate need for a change in community attitude as a family involved in a major traffic crash sat begging for help on the road, yet motorist after motorist just drove right by the tragic scene. The full details of the story are grim, and can be read in detail here, however looking to take away a positive, the issue did receive national and international attention.
Printed and online news services, radio stations and television stations picked up the story which gave Save LIFE founder, Piyush Tewari, a rare opportunity to vocalise the need for the Good Samaritan Law to a national audience and raise awareness of the Supreme Court petition.
Watch the TV debate here - Piyush Tewari enters the debate at 00.36.
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GRSP Members get involved in the 29th United Traffic Week in the Gulf
It has been an annual event since 1984, and this year, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) United Traffic Week was held under the slogan, 'Your safety is our aim'.
From Saudi Arabia to Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and reaching to the Sultanate of Oman and the UAE, activities promoting safe driving behaviour were held involving all segments of society, asserting once again the power of multi-sectoral partnerships. Conferences, lectures, exhibitions, traffic safety villages, parades, distribution of awareness and educational materials, simulators, live demonstrations, film screenings, contests... the sheer scope of action during the week is impressive.
“Gulf Traffic Week signifies the common goals the GCC member states share towards reaching practical, feasible solutions to the traffic woes,” said Brigadier General Gaith Hasan Al Zaabi, Director General, Traffic Coordination Department, at the Ministry of Interior in the UAE. “The Week serves as a renewed call for saving lives, safety and for pooling energies to address the repercussions of road crashes, whether in human loss or damage of property terms” he added.
Read more.
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Cricketer VVS Laxman to be brand ambassador for Hyderabad Traffic Police
Regular GRSP newsletter readers and those familiar with the work of the Bloomberg Philanthropies funded Road Safety in 10 Countries programme will know of the outstanding road safety work being undertaken in Hyderabad, capital city of the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. In the latest innovative move by additional commissioner of police (traffic) CV Anand, famous Indian cricketer VVS Laxman is to become the brand ambassador for Hyderabad Traffic Police in creating awareness on traffic rules among vehicle users.
In the first phase of 'Aap Ke Liye', a six-pronged strategy for promoting community awareness of traffic rules and enforcement launched by city police commissioner Anurag Sharma on April 10, traffic police have begun distributing pamphlets explaining the rules people should follow for their own safety. The educational aspect of such a campaign is crucial as it has the effect of softening the enforcement drive that accompanies the initiative.
Read more.
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Follow Up
One important content feature in which our Newsletter readers have expressed interest, is 'follow up' - and we agree. When we publish an article which requires or warrants follow up in future editions, we'll publish it.
FROM OUR FEBRUARY NEWSLETTER - http://us4.campaign-archive1.com/?u=a1560883c16cd2b838a48e6c8&id=9de1425009
Article: Arrive Safe advocates for removing illegal alcohol stands along state highways in the Punjab
Our article looked at local Indian NGO and Grants Programme grantee, Arrive Safe, advocating to remove illegal alcohol stalls along national highways - a hearing date was scheduled for March.
Follow Up From the Hearing
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The National Highway Authority of India confirmed in their reply to the Court that the liquor stalls were 'illegal operations along the highways'.
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Following an appeal by the Tax and Excise Departments, the Court provided more time for these departments to reply to the complaint filed by Arrive Safe.
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The Excise Policy was announced which continues to allow liquor stalls located along highways to operate and increases the target government revenue from liquor sales which implies an increase in liquor stall licenses to meet revenue targets.
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Several news stories were published regarding the Court case (example pictured (Chandigarh)).
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With the increased profile of the subject, the Punjab State Road Safety Council, which has never before raised this issue, has also started demanding the removal of the liquor stalls operating along the highways.
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In another development, a Court in a neighbouring state issued an order that liquor stalls and alcohol advertising should not be visible by motorists from the national or state highways. This precedent strengthens Arrive Safe’s legal challenge in future hearings.
So some positive steps, and some road blocks... but the fight will continue.
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Upcoming Events
To keep up to date with all coming events and seminars in road safety, take a look at our events calendar. Or if you have a road safety event you would like to see on our calendar, please contact us.
Second UN Global Road Safety Week - Pedestrian Safety: May 6-12, 2013
In support of the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration (UNRSC) Global Road Safety Week, we have published a page on our website dedicated to the sharing of information for all those with ideas and resources to share, or those wishing to gather information to assist with their plans for the Week.
Here's an overview of what else is just around the corner.
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May 7-8: EuroMed Road Safety Workshop: Pilot Project for Palestine, LEBANON
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May 15-16: GRSP Steering Committee Meeting and Demonstration Day, NETHERLANDS
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May 15-19: Shell Eco-marathon Europe 2013, NETHERLANDS
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May 21-23: Speed Management Workshop, Ankara, TURKEY
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May 28-30: Advocacy Workshop in cooperation with ASIRT, Ankara, TURKEY
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Join us on Social Media
Remember, our newsletter and web page are not the only places to help you keep up to date with road safety issues, or indeed make comment - our team of global contributors are active in the world of Social Media through Facebook and Twitter. So why not join us?
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