Saving lives by improving road safety is “one of the many objectives of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, the United Nations chief said in his message for the global day set aside for remembering the victims of traffic accidents.
Noting that more than 1.3 million people die in road accidents every year, Secretary-General António Guterres pointed out that more young people between the ages of 15 and 29 die from road crashes annually than from HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis or homicide.
“The World Day of Remembrance of Road Traffic Victims is an opportunity to reflect on how we can save millions of lives. While the scale of the challenge is enormous, collective efforts can do much to prevent these tragedies”, the UN chief attested.
In 2018, a UN Road Safety Fund was launched to finance actions in low- and middle-income countries, where around 90 percent of traffic casualties occur.
And next February, a global ministerial conference on road safety will be held in Sweden to strengthen partnerships to accelerate action.
“Urgent action remains imperative”, concluded the Secretary-General. “On this World Day, I call on all to join forces to address the global road safety crisis.”
Ending fatal road crashes are in line with the 2030 Agenda, particularly in line with Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3), which encompasses good health and wellbeing and SDG 11 on sustainable cities and communities.
This takes leadership in demonstrating outstanding road safety behavior every day and working together to find the best solutions.
Original source: UN News
Published on 17 November 2019
