The goal of the mission of the Special Envoy is to advocate for more investment in safe and sustainable mobility in one of the regions most affected in the world by road crashes: South-East Asia. Starting the tour with Thailand (21-23 Nov.), the Special Envoy will also visit Viet Nam (23-25 Nov.) and Cambodia (26-29 Nov.) to meet Ministers and partners to ensure the effective implementation of the new Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 with the perspective of halving the number of victims on the road by 2030.
With 1.3 million people killed on the road every year worldwide, road crashes rank as the first cause of death in young people aged 5 to 29, while more than 90% of road fatalities occur in low- and middle-income countries. Road crashes are the leading cause of the fatalities and injuries in South-East Asia. "In addition to the tragic loss of loved ones, road crashes draw the most vulnerable into a vicious cycle of poverty, from medical costs, material damage, loss of the economic capacity and mobilization of resources", highlights the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Road Safety, Mr. Jean Todt.
According to The World Health Organization (WHO 2018),Thailand and Viet Nam are the most vulnerable countries in the region with a fatality rate of 32.2 and 26.4 per 100,000 population while in the European Union, the fatality rate is 5.4 per 100,000 population. 58 per cent of the global road deaths occurred in the Asia-Pacific region.
Road traffic death figures in the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) region in 2019 showed an 11 per cent decrease from 2016. Despite this progress, efforts still need to be made in the region, combining policy, enforcement and education targeting the most vulnerable on the roads.
According to a World Bank blog (WB 2022), road fatalities cost economies $1.7 trillion dollars per year, and from 3% to 5 percent of GDP. According to the World Health Organization (WHO 2018), In Vietnam, it represents 2.9% of GDP, while it costs 1.7% of Cambodia's GDP. A 2017 study by the World Bank (2017), reports that if Thailand cuts road traffic mortality rates by 50% over a period of 24 years, it could generate additional income equivalent to 22.2% of GDP. Furthermore, the majority of the victims are from families with a disadvantaged background.
The Special Envoy will start his mission in Bangkok on 20-23 November to speak at the opening of International Transport Forum (ITF) and at the 7th Session of the Committee on Transport organized by the Transport Division of ESCAP. Despite the efforts, Thailand has still one of the 10 highest road traffic fatality rates in the world (WHO 2018). It also has the highest rate of motorcycle-related deaths in the world: the equivalent of 60 deaths a day.
According to the World Bank (WB 2022), the situation is particularly alarming in South-East Asia, where motorized two-wheelers account for up to 70% of total vehicles with motorization rate per population far exceeding that of cars. Motorized two-wheelers are also 30 times more at risk than cars on the road and represent 40 % of crash fatalities in the region. Wearing a certified quality helmet reduces the risk of fatality by 42% and injuries by 69%. The ESCAP event will be also the occasion to organize a Side event: Sustainable Mobility for Asia and the Pacific #RoadSafetyMatters, with an exhibition highlighting United Nations Road Safety Fund (UNRSF) projects.
In Phnom Penh, the Special Envoy will meet Ministers and will close the Achievement Dissemination Workshop on an Eco-Safe Driver Training Program, organized on the 24 November by the non-profit AIP Foundation supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft fϋr Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the VF Corporation.
The Special Envoy will close his South-East Asia Tour with a visit to Hanoi on 28 November where he will meet high-level Government representatives and will visit a school engaged on road safety working on speed reduction in school zones. Lastly, the Special Envoy will visit the Protec Tropical Helmet Factory in Vinh Phuc Province, which produces helmets licensed with the United Nations standard regulation and latest technology.
---------------------
