IRF was delighted to join hands with the Emirati Traffic Safety Society (ETSS), the Arab Road Safety Organization (AROSO) and la Prévention Routière Internationale (PRI) for the traditional “International Conference on Road Safety and Mobility.” Focusing this year specifically on Pillar II of the Decade of Action the conference offered a great opportunity to exchange experiences from around the world.

Among the major themes adressed:

• Improving the level of traffic safety
• Traffic Engineering and traffic control elements and their role in improving the level of traffic safety
• Planning and design
• Laws, by-laws, instructions and regulations of road, transport, traffic ad traffic engineering
• Capacity building and transfer of knowledge in safe infrastructure and rehabilitation, preparation and training of workers in the field of road engineering, transport, traffic and planning cities
• Looking ahead for the development of traffic safety

Speaking at the opening ceremony, IRF Director General, Susanna Zammataro, said: “It seems surprising that a few steps away from the end of the Decade of Action we still need to strongly re-commit to road safety. It seems surprising – and sometimes discouraging – to think that despite efforts at all levels we are still far away from our targets. It seems surprising that so much change has already happened and yet for a great majority of the people in this world, road safety still remains a pressing and daily threat to their lives.” She then reminded “the need to re-commit to road safety now more than ever as it iis needed and as we know that it is indeed achievable”.

During a later session, the Director General also gave a presentation about “Mainstreaming Road Safety into existing systems and policies” presenting also the knowledge and tools being developed together with colleagues of Pillar 2 of UNRSC and being currently hosted on the gTKP knowledge centre (www.gtkp.com) but also the work currently being carried out within the World Bank led Sustainable Mobility for All (SuM4All).

For more information, please contact the IRF secretariat at info[@]irfnet.ch.