ΝΕΑ από την Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety

  

 

Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety , ενεργό μέλος της η ΕΥΘΥΤΑ-ΠΑΡΑΤΗΡΗΤΗΡΙΟ ΟΔΙΚΗΣ ΑΣΦΑΛΕΙΑΣ ΡΟΔΟΥ

 

         

Editorial: Reviewing the year and what lies ahead   ​This edition brings together our highlights from 2025. From NGOs documenting unsafe streets to advocates challenging governments on speed reduction, helmet safety and accountability, our voices as civil society anchored every conversation and every outcome. The collective strength of our voices as civil society was on full display in Marrakech at the 4th Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety (Ministerial Conference). The Alliance brought all stakeholders to the same stage—civil society, governments, international organizations, the private sector, and academia—and made accountability unavoidable. Through our helmet advocacy work, we revealed that we are letting people down by allowing unsafe helmets into the market. Through the Mobility Snapshot, NGOs used simple, people-centered evidence to show a global pattern: different places, same problem—our streets are designed without people in mind. NGOs have used this evidence to successfully advocate for the implementation of evidence-based interventions across the globe. These wins are not abstract but tangible; they are footpaths built, speed limits lowered, crossings installed, and lives protected. This progress came in a challenging year. Funding cuts and shrinking civic space placed real pressure on civil society, even as expectations grew. Yet our network of NGOs expanded, our members persisted, and our collective voice grew louder. Looking ahead, the launch of the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport offers new pathways to advance what has always been at our core: road safety. We will remain road safety advocates even as we push into broader spaces where safe mobility must be shaped, financed, and delivered. We will keep advocating, documenting realities, and holding governments to account. That is how we move from commitments to action and that is the work we will continue, together, in 2026. Read more.

2025 Highlights

Alliance members at the NGO Symposium during the Ministerial Conference in Marrakech

This year, the Alliance delivered on its strategic plan of a strong network, strengthening advocacy and accountability, and building members’ capacity to turn evidence into action, ensuring global road safety commitments translate into safe journeys worldwide. From leading NGO advocacy at the Ministerial Conference, where we monitored and analyzed government commitments, to advancing the implementation of 30 km/h interventions across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, the Alliance amplified NGO voices, elevated lived realities on the road, and pushed for the adoption of proven, evidence-based interventions. Below are some of our key highlights of 2025.

The Alliance presenting the safe mobility painting by Yesterman to the Government of Morocco

Ministerial Conference in Marrakech   At the Ministerial Conference in Marrakech, the Alliance and its members ensured that civil society’s voice was clearly heard. The Alliance booth served as a hub for members to meet national delegations, share lived realities from their streets, and discuss solutions; at least ten heads of delegation visited the booth, often alongside NGOs from their countries. It also featured Yesterman, a Mexican artist, who painted an artwork symbolizing the Alliance’s call for safe mobility. The Alliance led a parallel session on Commitments and Accountability, reflecting growing recognition of NGO leadership in advancing accountability in road safety. The Alliance and Youth for Road Safety (YOURS) organized the #CommittoLife Walk and Ride, with a civil society call to action in which youth coalition and NGO speakers described their experiences of the street and called for decision-makers to commit to urgent action toward the 2030 targets. The NGO Symposium and the side event on Helmet Realities and Solutions highlighted NGO advocacy for evidence-based solutions. Alliance NGO members played an active role throughout the conference—speaking on panels, engaging with government delegations, giving media interviews, and using signboards to amplify key messages. Alliance Executive Director Lotte Brondum was invited to speak at the closing ceremony, placing the NGO Call to Action for government commitment and accountability at the center of her remarks and symbolizing it by presenting a safe mobility painting by Yesterman to the Government of Morocco. Following the conference, the Alliance analyzed government commitments and the Marrakech Declaration against its Call to Action, sharing the findings in an online session and discussing how NGOs can use the analysis to monitor commitments, engage decision-makers, and drive accountability. Recap the Alliance’s activities at the Ministerial Conference here.

Helmets brought by Alliance members on display at the Alliance booth during the Ministerial Conference

Helmet testing and advocacy Alliance member NGOs sourced 11 motorcycle helmets from local shops or riders in Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Greece, India, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, and Viet Nam. These helmets were placed at the Alliance booth for participants and government delegations to touch and feel after which they were sent to an accredited laboratory for testing against three core safety tests common to global standards, including UN Regulation No. 22 (ECE 22.06). None passed all three tests, and only one passed a single test. The results revealed that unsafe helmets are widely available across multiple countries, exposing critical gaps in standards, enforcement, and market surveillance. “These substandard helmets are everywhere in the local market, selling for around US$12. Sadly, the lab results weren’t surprising; safety standards here often seem like a checkbox exercise rather than a real priority.” — Mesganaw Bimrew, Save the Nation, Ethiopia.  The findings align with our Helmet White Paper launched earlier this year and reinforced a clear NGO message: protecting motorcyclists requires not just helmet laws, but helmets that actually protect. Recap the helmet testing results HERE and NGO reactions HERE.

Shelwyn navigating an unsafe street in Cape Town which is now being upgraded following Mobility Snapshot campaign by Alliance member South Africans Against Drunk Driving

Mobility Snapshot leads to real change The Mobility Snapshot continued to transform everyday street realities into compelling evidence for change, revealing a shared global failure to prioritize people on roads across different countries, cultures, and contexts. Launched at the Ministerial Conference in Marrakech, the Mobility Snapshot publication showcased over 118 snapshots from intersections used by millions of people in more than 44 countries across six continents. The snapshots documented the daily risks faced by pedestrians, giving NGOs concrete, people-centered evidence to engage decision-makers. This led to tangible, on-the-ground improvements in many countries. In Cape Town, South Africa, Mobility Snapshot advocacy contributed to the construction of footpaths and bicycle lanes on a busy street where Shelwyn, a wheelchair user, was forced to navigate traffic. In Chișinău, Moldova, it helped secure the implementation of 30 km/h limits, pedestrian crossings, and traffic calming, while in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, it contributed to the installation of pedestrian crossings. Read more about the Mobility Snapshot HERE.

30 km/h case study publication The Alliance launched a case study publication titled Making 30 km/h a reality: A case study of advocacy in Kenya and Uganda using the Accountability Toolkit, showing how NGOs are driving policy change and implementation of 30 km/h zones, a proven intervention to reduce road deaths and injuries and advance the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021–2030. The case study follows Alliance members in Kenya and Uganda who used the Accountability Toolkit to influence government action. In Kenya, the government committed to 30 km/h zones as a policy priority and initiated a review of the Traffic Act to make 30 km/h the default urban speed limit. In Uganda, regulations lowering urban speed limits from 50 km/h to 30 km/h were reviewed and gazetted. The publication is complemented by a new Toolkit webpage, Lessons learned: Real-world application of the Accountability Toolkit for 30 km/h zones, which captures insights from NGOs in Argentina, Chile, Kenya, Nepal, Tanzania, Tunisia, and Uganda participating in the Alliance Incubator program, demonstrating how tools such as the Accountability Toolkit can turn commitments into safe streets. We thank FIA Foundation and TotalEnergies Foundation for their generous support and funding towards this work.

HRH Prince Michael of Kent at a Prince Michael International Road Safety Award ceremony

Alliance members win 2025 Road Safety Awards Several Alliance members and partners were recognized in November at the 2025 Prince Michael International Road Safety Awards, one of the most respected international honors in road safety. Presented by HRH Prince Michael of Kent, the Awards celebrate excellence and innovation in road safety since 1987, recognizing initiatives that deliver measurable reductions in road traffic deaths and injuries and support meeting the targets of the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety. Among the award winners were several initiatives led by members of the Alliance, demonstrating the strength and diversity of civil society action across regions: Les Ambassadeurs de la Securité Routière – Slower Speeds in Tunisia, prioritising the implementation of 30 km/h zones to reduce fatalities and improve safety. AIP Foundation – SAFE STEPS Kids, improving child road safety through education, safe equipment, and safer school environments in Viet Nam and Cambodia. Partnership for Road Safety Georgia – 30 km/h School Zones, advancing national and local advocacy to protect children around schools. Some of our close partners including Autoliv and Fundación Aleatica also received awards. The Alliance congratulates all award recipients. Read more.

Launch of the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport The United Nations has officially launched the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport 2026–2035, setting out a global framework to advance equitable, safe, and sustainable mobility for all. The Alliance welcomes the launch of the Decade and its Implementation Plan as a critical opportunity to reshape transport systems worldwide. At the same time, the Alliance underscores a fundamental reality: there can be no sustainable transport without road safety. Each year, more than 1.19 million people are killed in road traffic crashes. These deaths and injuries directly undermine sustainable development and must be addressed if the Decade’s ambitions and the Sustainable Development Goals are to be achieved. The Alliance released a statement following the launch, calling for actionable, measurable, and well-funded commitments. Read the full statement here. The Alliance has made two voluntary commitments to the Decade that reflect the central role of civil society in delivering safe and sustainable mobility. The first, Moving Safety Together: NGOs and Youth Mobilising for Safe and Sustainable Mobility, a joint commitment with Youth for Road Safety (YOURS). The second, Roadmaps for Change: Building Sustainable Capacity for Inclusive, Safe, Green and Efficient Roads for All, made with the International Road Federation (IRF).  “The joint commitment of YOURS and the Alliance underscores our belief that sustainable transport cannot be achieved in isolation. By working together, we place the vision of youth and communities at the heart of progress, catalyzing knowledge, resourcing grassroots action and driving change.” — Raquel Barrios, YOURS. Read more.

Alliance members at the Alliance Booth during the Ministerial Conference in Marrakech

A stronger global NGO network This year, the Alliance continued to grow in both size and reach. We added 39 new members and two new countries—Gabon and Honduras. Our members are spread across the four Alliance regions—29% from Africa; 28.1% from Europe, North America, and Australasia; 24.3% from Asia; and 18.6% from Latin America. This growth strengthens the Alliance’s role as a truly global network and reflects increasing interest in collective, on-the-ground action on road safety, as well as a shared recognition that meaningful change happens faster and more effectively when organizations are connected, visible, and working together. To support this growing and diverse membership, the Alliance introduced induction and refresher meetings for both new and existing members, creating space to strengthen understanding, alignment, and collaboration across the network. These meetings will continue in 2026. A broader geographic footprint brings more diverse perspectives, deeper local knowledge, and stronger links between global advocacy and community-level action. It allows lessons learned in one context to inform action in another, amplifies the voices of NGOs in underrepresented regions, and reinforces the Alliance’s ability to convene members around common priorities, evidence, and accountability. Above all, this growth advances a core pillar of our strategy: building a stronger, more connected network. As our membership grows, so does our collective capacity to influence policy, support one another, and hold decision-makers to account. We warmly welcome new members to our global network. Find out how to join the Alliance.

Sharing information about the Alliance to a delegate at the Ministerial Conference

Strengthening our communications In 2025, the Alliance implemented a clear social media strategy to expand the reach of our work and amplify the voices and impact of our members. We maintained an active presence across key platforms—Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, and LinkedIn—and recorded steady growth across all channels. Over the year, our audience increased by 2% on Facebook, 13% on Instagram, 10% on Threads, 2% on X, and 27% on LinkedIn, with particularly strong engagement on platforms where our members and partners are most active. Beyond audience growth, we achieved substantial gains in visibility, indicating that our content reached and resonated with a wider and more relevant audience. Looking ahead, we are refining our communications to ensure they more clearly represent our members and showcase their critical work. As part of this effort, beginning next year, the Alliance newsletter will transition from a monthly to a quarterly publication. This shift will allow for deeper reflection on progress, stronger storytelling, and more meaningful reporting on collective impact. We look forward to staying connected across all our communication channels as we continue working together to advance safe mobility for all.

Happy New Year 2026 We wish you all a Happy New Year and look forward to the year ahead with renewed energy as we continue our collaboration and advocacy for safe and sustainable streets. We extend our sincere thanks to our members, partners, friends, and funders for advocating tirelessly with us throughout 2025 to make our countries and communities safe. Your commitment, resilience, and leadership continue to drive real change on the ground.