Press Release ECE/TRANS/00/4
Geneva,28 April 2000
Protecting
vulnerable road users
The Third Road Safety Week in the UN/ECE
Region
1-7 May 2000
http://www.unece.org/trans/roadsafe
Of the 120,000 people killed on
European roads every year, almost 50,000 are vulnerable road users such as pedestrians,
cyclists, cyclomotorists or motorcyclists. Among these groups of road users, there are
large numbers of the most vulnerable of all, i.e. children, elderly, the disabled and
young people. "This is an intolerable situation", states Mr. José Capel Ferrer,
Director of the Transport Division of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
(UN/ECE). "National Governments, but also regional and local authorities and the
international community must strengthen their efforts to drastically reduce this tragic
toll. To raise the awareness of all concerned, including road users themselves, and to
promote a more responsible behaviour on the road, we have launched the Third Road Safety
Week in the UN/ECE Region."
This Third Road Safety
Week -- the first one was organized in 1990 and the second one in 1995 -- will take place
from 1 to 7 May 2000 in all UN/ECE countries -- Membership of the UN/ECE comprises all
European countries, the United States of America, Canada, Israel and the Republics of the
Caucasus and Central Asia -- under the common slogan PARTNERSHIP ON THE ROAD
INCREASES SAFETY, and with the common target group VULNERABLE ROAD USERS.
In this framework, UN/ECE Governments as
well as international and non-governmental organizations will organize national campaigns
and special events with the main objective to draw the attention of all road users,
general public, and policy makers to the problems of safety for vulnerable road users.
These activities include: publication and distribution of brochures, folders, posters
publicly placed, video clips on the TV news, production and distribution of related
souvenirs, special outdoor events linked with a road safety fair, meetings of road safety
professionals and activists, press conferences and debates on the radio and TV,
competitions on good behaviour in traffic and of drawings among school children, charity
concerts and many other activities, organized in cooperation with the lead organizations,
government agencies, police force, research institutes, schools, local communities and
media. Such activities are being organized by Bulgaria, Croatia, Finland, Germany, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland as well as
the non-governmental organizations: European Federation of the Road Traffic Victims,
European Cyclists Federation, International Federation of Motorcyclists, International
Road Transport Union, and Prévention Routière International who is publishing a special
CD-ROM on this occasion. The European Conference of Ministers of Transport has prepared a
publication entitled "Safety in Road Traffic for Vulnerable Users".The Government of Germany announced that a
large European Conference on the Safety of Elderly Persons in Traffic will be organized in
Cologne from 2 to 4 May 2000.In Switzerland, Fussverkehr Schweiz, in
cooperation with and supported by the Swiss Road Safety Council and Road Safety Fund, will
organize a Symposium under the theme Vision Zero - Traffic without Danger, from 4 to 5 May
2000 in Zurich, to promote the concept of road traffic without accidents. Romania and Russian Federation have
produced brochures, posters, CD-ROM and souvenirs for the national Third Road Safety Week
campaign, as well as produced a road safety video. In Belgium, the campaign raises the new
question, "Do we share the road or do we share the respect?" following the
earlier popular slogan "Slowing down makes new friends".The UN/ECE Transport Division has created
a special website for the Third Road Safety Week, http://www.unece.org/trans/roadsafe, which
gives complete, regularly supplemented and updated information on the Third Road Safety
Week, including detailed activities by the various countries and concerned organizations,
and also provides links to their own road safety websites. The UN/ECE Transport Division has also
prepared special posters and postcards for the promotion of the Week, available in three
language versions: English, French and Russian. Additionally, it has issued Newsletters
informing Governments, organizations and the general public on the activities undertaken
in the framework of the Week in the UN/ECE region.The Third Road Safety Week has mobilized a
huge amount of resources and is stimulating new thinking and innovative concepts or
approaches to the problem of road safety and more particularly that of vulnerable road
users.For further information on the Third Road
Safety Week in the UN/ECE Region as well on the regular road safety activities promoted
and implemented by the UN/ECE in general, please contact:
José Capel Ferrer, Director, or
Jerzy Witkowski, Economic Affairs Officer
Transport Division
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE)
Palais des Nations
CH - 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Telephone: (+41-22) 917 2400 or 917 3259
Fax: (+41-22) 907 0039
Email: [email protected]
[email protected]
In order to provide you with a better
service, we would appreciate it if you would send a copy of your article to: Information Unit, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE), Palais des
Nations, Room 356, CH - 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland,
Tel: +(41 22) 917 44 44, Fax: +(41 22) 917
05 05,E-mail: [email protected], Website: http://www.unece.org
Thank you. |