Kathmandu: United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has called for “bold new partnerships” to tackle the global road safety crisis and halve traffic deaths by 2030, emphasizing that road safety is “integral to development, urban planning and climate action alike.”
Speaking through Navid Hanif, Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development, at a high-level event titled “Catalyzing Philanthropic Leadership on Road Safety and Global Health” in New York, the Secretary-General urged global leaders and philanthropists to take stronger action to prevent avoidable deaths.
“Each year, 1.2 million people lose their lives on the world’s roads, and another 50 million are maimed or injured,” he said. “These are not faceless statistics. They are children on their way to school, parents travelling to work, people whose lives are shattered in an instant.”
Highlighting that 90 percent of all road deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, he said the crisis is “rooted in inequality,” with the poorest and most vulnerable, pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and children, bearing the heaviest burden.
Guterres outlined practical solutions, including better urban planning, improved pedestrian infrastructure, safer public transport, stricter enforcement of helmet and seat-belt laws, and stronger speed management. “These interventions can save thousands of lives,” he stressed.
He noted that the UN, through its agencies and the UN Road Safety Fund, has supported 94 countries to improve road safety. “We are seeing results in Brazil, fatalities are falling; in Rwanda, helmet laws are saving lives; and in Lao PDR, better licensing is improving driver safety,” he said.
Looking ahead, the Secretary-General said the upcoming UN Decade of Sustainable Transport offers a chance to put road safety at the heart of sustainable development.
“The Sustainable Development Goals set a clear target; to cut road traffic deaths in half by 2030,” he stated. “But the pace of decline is far too slow. Change will take bold new partnerships, bringing together governments, civil society, the private sector, and you, the philanthropic leaders in the room.”
He concluded with a call to action: “Together, we can save millions of lives and give road safety the green light it deserves.”
