Decade of Action for Road Safety by WHO (2)

Launch of the Decade of Action for Road Safety

 

The Decade is a historic opportunity to offer Member States and their partners a framework for action which could ultimately save millions of lives. The vision is a world in which mobility is safe for all those who use the world’s roads. The alternative is grim: if no action is taken to address the current crisis, road traffic fatalities are forecast to rise from the current level of nearly 1.3 million deaths annually to more than 1.9 million by 2020. The goal of the Decade is to stabilize and then reduce the predicted number of lives that could be lost. WHO and the United Nations regional commissions, in cooperation with other partners in the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration and other stakeholders have developed a Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020 through an extensive consultation process including 
face-to-face discussions with the major stakeholders and public comment through the Internet. 

The Plan provides an overall framework for activities which could be implemented in countries over the Decade. 
Five major categories or “pillars” of activities are proposed: 

1. road safety management;  
2. safer roads and mobility;   
3. safer vehicles;  
4. safer road users; and 
5. postcrash response. 

The Plan also proposes indicators to measure progress in each of
these areas. Governments, international agencies, civil society organizations, the private sector and other stakeholders are invited to use the Plan as a guiding document for the events and activities they will support as part of the Decade.

Decade of Action for Road Safety by WHO (1)

Road Safety

Improving global road safety

Note by the Secretary-General
The Secretary-General transmits the report on improving global road safety, prepared by the World Health Organization in consultation with the United Nations regional commissions and other partners of the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration.

Introduction

1. Nearly 1.3 million people in the world die each year of road crashes, 

90 percent of them in low- and middle-income countries. 

Another 20 to 50 million people suffer serious injuries. 

Road traffic injuries are also the leading cause of death for people from 10 to 24 years of age. 

Significant numbers of road traffic fatalities and injuries can be prevented by addressing the leading causes, which include 

excess speed, 

• lack of seat-belt and 
• child restraint use, 
• drinking and driving, 
• lack of helmet use by riders on two-wheel and three-wheel motorized vehicles, 
• poorly designed and inadequately maintained roads, 
• unsafe infrastructure and vehicles, and 
• inadequate trauma care.

2. On World Health Day in 2004, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank jointly launched the World report on road traffic injury prevention, stressing the importance of road traffic injury prevention and making several recommendations on how countries can address the problem.

Easter Greetings !

Easter Greetings

10 facts on global road safety by WHO

Road Safety

1. A global problem

Over 90% of the deaths on the roads occur in low-income and middle-income countries, which have only 48% of the world’s registered vehicles.

2. High proportion of vulnerable road users

Pedestrians, cyclists, and riders of motorized two-wheelers and their passengers (who are collectively known as "vulnerable road users") account for around 46% of global road traffic deaths. This proportion is greater in low-income countries than in high-income countries. 

3. Speed

Controlling speed is an important way of reducing road traffic injuries, particularly among pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists. Less than one-third of countries have taken necessary measures - for example low-speed zones - to reduce speed in urban areas. 

4. Drinking and driving

Drinking and driving increases the risk of a crash, which could result in death or serious injury. WHO recommends a blood alcohol concentration limit of 0.05 gram per decilitre (g/dl) for adult drivers. Less than half of countries worldwide have drink–driving laws set at this limit. 

5. Helmet use

Wearing a good-quality helmet can reduce the risk of death from a road crash by almost 40% and the risk of severe injury by over 70%. Only 40% of countries have motorcycle helmet laws that cover both riders and passengers, and mandate quality standards for helmets.

6. Seat-belt use

Wearing a seat-belt reduces the risk of death among front-seat passengers by 40-65% and can reduce deaths among rear-seat car occupants by 25-75%. Only 57% of countries require seat-belts to be used in cars by both front-seat and rear-seat passengers.

7. Child restraint use

The use of child restraints (infant seats, child seats and booster seats) can reduce deaths of children by between 54% and 80% in the event of a crash. Less than half of all countries have laws requiring the use of child restraints in vehicles.

8. Pre-hospital care

Prompt, good-quality pre-hospital care can save many people injured in road traffic crashes. About 76% of countries have pre-hospital care systems, ranging from those with highly qualified staff to those that rely on bystanders. Around the world there are about 90 different pre-hospital care access telephone numbers that need to be harmonized into one global number or a few regional numbers. 

9. The potential for progress

Road traffic injuries can be prevented. A number of countries, mainly high-income countries, have made significant progress over the last few decades in reducing their road traffic death rates. But more can be done to reduce these rates further.

10. Now is the time to act

Road traffic injuries are predicted to become the fifth leading cause of death by 2030, resulting in 2.4 million deaths a year. This projected ranking would be the result of an increase in road traffic deaths and reductions in deaths due to other health conditions.

Ref: http://www.who.int/

Honesty pays: Ten Honest Auto Drivers Honored

Auto drivers honored

Honesty pays. That’s what 10 auto drivers realized on Thursday while they were honored at a function organized at Town Hall. The function was organized jointly by TVS Motors and Namma Motors,
Dealer Principal, to felicitate honest auto drivers of Bangalore.

Transport Minster R Ashoka lauded the drivers for safely returning belongings of commuters such as cash worth Rs  2 to 8 lakhs, Jewellery ornaments, laptops and other valuable goods, that were left behind in their vehicles. He also took the opportunity to advice them not to refuse to take the commuters to their destination.
Commuters are god, who make your lively hood, help the commuters when thy are in need of your assistance.
The Minister also observed that many auto drivers had rescued people injured in accidents, while the four wheelers showed no concern as they feared complications.   

Addressing the gathering Mr. Prem Kamath, Dealer Principal  Namma Motors said  this event is organized to send a message to the other drivers to come forward and help the public when they are in need of such assistance. 

Auto people are the only people who are left backward, there is no proper guidance, as majority of them  come from different background with no proper training and facilities, he said and thanked the government for setting up a training centre at Yelahanka. He also presented a relief fund to family of auto driver Srinivas who died recently. 

Auto drivers’ day out

                          Life of an auto driver is very hectic and there is hardly anytime left to take a break amidst their busy schedule. For some auto drivers, life starts as early 5 am and goes up to mid-night. Not to mention the plight of those who operate throughout night to make ends meet.

In order to give these auto drivers a break from their mundane routine, Hello FM 106.4, in association with TVS Tyres organized an evening of fun and frolic, not just for the auto drivers but also for the entire family in Tirunelveli on June 12, 2011.

It all started with a road show in and around Tirunelveli resulting in an overwhelming 900 registrations. On the day of the event, They decorated MDT school, the venue of the activity, and five counters were put up for free check-up of participants’ autos. A 15 member strong medical team was also pressed into service for free eye and medical check-up of auto drivers.

For more than 800 auto drivers and their family, the day ended with fun-filled evening wherein temporary tattoo for kids, Mehandi application, slogan contest, fun-filled games, dance performance by local dance troupe, musical orchestra entertained one and all.