Alliance Newsletter

COVID-19 has quickly become the main priority for most of our governments. As road safety and mobility NGOs and advocates, what is our role in this crisis?

Our priority, as always, is the safety of our citizens. Hospitals and emergency services cannot manage road crash victims as they struggle to cope with the pandemic and governments are working hard to contain the virus. The strongest road safety message we can offer at this time is to follow your government's advice, stay at home, and if you need to go out, walk, drive, or ride carefully: use a seat belt or helmet, reduce your speed, don't drink and drive, and stay off your mobile phone. Be responsible for your own sake and the sake of everyone.

We wish you all well in these challenging times. Please stay safe and keep in touch.

Yours sincerely,

Lotte Brondum
Executive Director 

WHAT DOES COVID MEAN FOR MOBILITY AND NGOs? Within the last month, COVID-19 has shifted governments' and citizens' priorities and drastically altered our day-to-day lifestyles. It has implications for nearly every area of our lives and our work. Road safety is no exception. It is likely that the pandemic will have a long-term impact on the way we work, travel, and interact with one another. The Alliance will be holding a series of calls for NGOs to discuss what the pandemic means for road safety, how we respond now, and how we equip ourselves for new challenges and ways of working. Sign up HERE. Read about some of the emerging road safety implications of the COVID-19 pandemic, how NGOs are responding, and links to relevant resources HERE. While many things are uncertain and the picture is rapidly evolving, there is one road safety message that is clear. Charlie Mock, Professor of Global Health, University of Washington, sums it up, “The medical system is being stretched to, and, in some cases, beyond capacity in many locations. Hence, there is even more reason than usual to drive safely (including obeying speed limits), to avoid alcohol-impaired driving, and to use proper restraints. There is also good reason to avoid driving unless you really need to.” ONE MONTH SINCE SWEDEN  Just over one month ago, the 3rd Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety concluded with new momentum to reduce road deaths and injuries on the world's roads. Watch our new video recalling our call to action for world leaders HERE. The Stockholm Declaration was the primary output of the conference and will form the basis for a new UN resolution on road safety. Find the Declaration HERE. While we know that the General Assembly meeting will not take place in April as planned, this will be a key document, and we remain ready to push its agenda. To catch up or as a reminder of the key events in Sweden, you can also find videos, photos, and films of the high-level panels and parallel sessions HERE. NGO/GOVERNMENT PARTNERSHIP IN UGANDA RECEIVES UN ROAD SAFETY TRUST FUND GRANT A joint project between the Ugandan government, the UN Economic Commission for Africa, and Alliance member URRENO, was among the UN Road Safety Trust Fund grantees announced at a ministerial lunch hosted by Jean Todt, the UN Secretary General's Special Envoy for Road Safety, at the Global Ministerial Conference last month. The project will improve crash reporting and analysis to enable monitoring and evaluation, and planning of road safety implementation. Read more HERE. COMMITMENT FOR YOUNG VICTIMS IN SPAIN The first moment after a road crash is one of great confusion: people are in a state of shock and can experience intense reactions that they do not know how to manage. On 10 February 2020, Alliance member P(A)T, Spain, held a public ceremony as part of the #CommitToAct campaign. At the event, Miquel Buch, Minister of the Interior, and Juli Gendrau, Director of the Servei Català de Trànsit, committed to expand immediate psychological care for all seriously injured crash victims under the age of 18 (previously available to only those under age 12) and to expand the support for victims' families up to 12 months after an incident. Read more HERE and explore more commitments on our commitment tracker HERE. ALLIANCE WELCOMES NEW MEMBERS We are delighted to welcome two new members that have joined the Alliance recently: L'Association Annahda Al-Baamraniya pour le développement et l'éducation à la sécurité routière, Morocco Plataforma Motera para la Seguridad Vial, Spain. Read more about our new members and check out their profiles HERE.

UPCOMING EVENTS AND DEADLINES NOTE: Events and schedules subject to change due to the COVID-19 pandemic. iRAP Star Rating for Schools four-part webinar series: 31 March–9 April 2020. Read more HERE. POSTPONED: Second UN Global Sustainable Transport Conference: 5–7 May 2020, Beijing, China. Read more HERE. Velo-city 2020: 2–5 June 2020, Ljubljana, Slovenia. Read more HERE. POSTPONED: 4th International Children's Road Safety Forum (FISEVI): 9–10 June 2020, Colombia. Read more HERE. Road to Vision Zero Conference, Brake: 17 June 2020, London, UK. Read more HERE. Universiti Putra Malaysia, postgraduate courses in road safety. Application deadline for September 2020 entry: 30 June 2020. Read more HERE. IRF Summit: 1–3 October 2020, Istanbul, Turkey. Read more HERE. NETS annual STRENGTH IN NUMBERS® Benchmark Conference: 14–15 October 2020, Denver, US. Read more HERE.