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The Role of UNECE in improving Road Safety
The United Nations General Assembly resolution proclaiming a Decade of Action for Road
Safety 2011‐2020 was tabled by the Government of the Russian Federation and cosponsored
by more than 90 countries. The UNECE as a member of the UN Road Safety Collaboration
welcomes this proclamation which seeks to save lives by halting the increasing trends in road
traffic deaths and injuries world‐wide. UNECE’s work focuses on improving road safety
through developing and updating legal instruments. They are aimed at internationally
harmonized traffic regulations, construction and technical inspection of vehicles as well as
for the transport of dangerous goods. These regulations have assisted many countries in
developing and enforcing traffic rules and measures, producing safer and cleaner road
vehicles, reducing the risk of accidents with dangerous goods and hazardous materials and
ensuring that only safe and well‐maintained vehicles and competent drivers are allowed to
participate in traffic. Transport infrastructure agreements developed under the UNECE
auspices have given Europe coherent pan‐European and safe road transport networks.
The UN Road Safety Forum
The UNECE Working Party on Road Traffic Safety (WP.1) is the only permanent
intergovernmental body in the United Nations system dealing with road safety. WP.1s
primary function is to serve as guardian of the United Nations road safety legal instruments.
The Conventions on Road Traffic and on Roads Signs and Signals of 1968, and other UNECE
legal instruments addressing the main factors of road crashes i.e. the road user behaviour,
the vehicle and the infrastructure,
are significant contributors to
improved road safety. In addition
to its regulatory work, WP.1 is
involved in development and
promotion of best road safety
practices.
Among
its
main
achievements are a unique set of
road
safety
best
practices
contained in the Consolidated
Resolutions on Road Traffic (R.E.1)
and on Road Signs and Signals in
order to bring them in line with
the dramatic developments in road safety.
Improving global road safety: setting regional and national road traffic casualty reduction
targets
With financial support from the United Nations Development Account (UNDA) the project
“improving global road safety: setting regional and national road traffic casualty reduction
targets” was implemented through 2008 and 2009, by the five United Nations Regional
Commissions, in cooperation with other international organizations and NGOs active in the
field of road safety. The project recognized the value of targets in improving road safety and
Page 68 of 122
was set up to help countries with economies in transition to
develop regional and national road traffic casualty reduction
targets and to provide them with examples of good road safety
practice that could help them to achieve the targets selected by
2015. Activities under the project included organization of
seminars under the auspices of each regional commission,
report on setting and achieving road safety targets, and inputs
for the Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety that took
place in Moscow on 19‐20 November 2009.
Vehicle safety
Among the essential improvements of vehicle safety, the World
Forum (WP.29) has adopted new provisions for the mandatory installation of Brake Assist
Systems (BAS) and Electronic Stability Control (ESC) systems which are major achievements
in the field of active vehicle safety. Their regulatory implementation, make these
technologies applicable on a worldwide scale. Furthermore, Daytime Running Lights (DRL),
Adaptive Front‐Lighting Systems (AFS) and contour markings for commercial vehicles are
efficient technologies to also improve the active safety of vehicles (crash‐avoidance). New
requirements to increase passive safety of buses, like the mandatory installation of safety‐
belts and safety‐belt anchorages as well as fire detection systems in coaches have
contributed to reduce the consequences of traffic accidents.
Helmet use for two‐wheelers
A significant percentage of the global 1.3 million fatalities per year due to road crashes occur
because many motorcyclists do not wear helmets while driving. While wearing a helmet
correctly can cut the risk of death by almost 40%, and the risk of severe injury by 72%, The
most recent amendments agreed by the World Forum regarding UNECE Regulation No. 22
(protective helmets), have resulted in one the most relevant sets of requirements for the
construction of motorcycle helmets at the world level (New York Times, 6 May 2010). Since
motorcycle usage is growing fast, particularly in the transition countries, adherence to
WP.29 requirements on helmets could massively contribute to road safety improvement.
Road safety statistics
For many years the UNECE is undertaking the regular compilation and dissemination of road
traffic accident statistics in Europe and North America a rich collection of detailed data
(including on‐line) relating to road traffic accidents and casualties by country, year, location,
time of occurrence, road condition, nature of accident, age group and accidents under
influence of alcohol
Green Card System
In 1947 the UNECE began the work towards a system that coordinates between authorities
and insurance organizations in order to avoid conflicts when traffic accidents involve vehicles
registered in a different country. This work led to the Recommendation number 5,
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(E/ECE/TRANS/145 ‐ E/EEC/TRANS SC1/C 39). In the 1950ies the Council of Bureaux (COB)
was created and in 1953 the Green Card System was born based on the agreement No 43 by
the ECE. Ever since then the COB has maintained this international insurance system. The
geographical area of coverage of the system continues to increase. As figure 5.9 shows,
there are currently three candidates for membership.
Figure 5.9
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