IACP, UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Road Safety Partner to Reduce Road Deaths
A New York City Traffic Enforcement Officer directing cars. / Image credit: Andrius Kaziliunas via iStock
By Tammy Leytham
Road traffic injuries kill 1.4 million people worldwide each year, with 90 percent of those fatal injuries occurring in low- and middle-income countries, according to the World Health Organization.
In the face of this ongoing global road safety crisis, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Road Safety have started a collaboration aimed at strengthening the role of law enforcement in enhancing global road safety.
“We are excited to partner with Special Envoy Jean Todt to elevate the role of policing leaders in efforts to enhance global road safety,” said IACP Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer Vincent Talucci. “IACP believes that by leveraging our global network of police leaders, in collaboration with the United Nations, we can enhance equitable road policing enforcement and safety.”
The United Nations Special Envoy for Road Safety was appointed by the UN Secretary-General in 2015 to help mobilize sustained political commitment toward making road safety a priority.
The aim – to improve road safety with a particular focus on low- and middle-income countries – is supported by the Core Values of the Special Envoy for Road Safety:
Advocating for programs
Legislative changes
Resources
International partnerships
In addition to the more than one million people killed on roads each year, between 20 and 50 million suffer injuries. Road traffic deaths are the leading cause of death for those ages 15-29, and the eighth-leading cause of death globally.
The collaboration indicates the crucial role of traffic enforcement authorities in promoting the safety of the world’s roads and is an important step forward to saving lives, according to the IACP.
The IACP, the world’s largest and most influential professional association for police leaders, has more than 33,000 members in over 170 countries.
Committed to advancing the safety of communities worldwide, the IACP has experience implementing road safety projects with an emphasis on improving traffic enforcement practices in low- and middle-income countries and has strong relationships with police agencies at the municipal, state, and national levels in countries around the world.
It is in the common interest of the Special Envoy and the IACP to ensure that law enforcement leaders are central actors in global road safety discussions and initiatives.
The WHO reports that in addition to loss of life and human suffering, road traffic injuries result in a heavy economic burden on victims and their families, both through treatment costs and loss of productivity.
More broadly, the WHO reports, road traffic injuries have a serious impact on national economies, costing countries 3 percent of their annual gross domestic product.