The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for more to be done to improve road safety in a message issued in advance of the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, which is to be observed on 20th November.
The message reports that each day nearly 3,500 people die on the roads, tens of thousands more are injured, and families are broken apart. Road accidents have become the leading cause of death for people aged 15 to 29. This is an unacceptable price to pay for mobility.
The Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020, which began in May this year, has the goal of saving five million lives. A global plan for the decade provides a framework for Governments, civil society and the private sector to work together to improve road management, upgrade the safety of roads and vehicles, and educate drivers, passengers and pedestrians on safe behaviour.
