Media are cordially invited to join Transport Minister, Sibusiso Ndebele, and various representatives from government, the private sector and civil society, at the official launch of the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011- 2020 next Wednesday (11 May 2011).
The Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020 aims to save lives by halting the increasing trends in road traffic deaths and injuries world-wide.
Details of the event are as follows:
Date:Wednesday, 11 May 2011
Venue:Birchwood Hotel, Viewpoint Street, Bartlett, Boksburg, Gauteng
Time: 09h30 for 10h00
RSVP:Journalists attending must please confirm their attendance by no later than 14h00 on Monday, 9 May 2011 with:
Mthunzikazi Mbungwana on 012-309 3960, MbungwaM@dot.gov.za or
Sello Tshipi on 073 498 6722, TshipiA@dot.gov.za.
UN Decade of Action for Road Safety
On 12 April 2011 during his address in London at the launch of the ‘Make Roads Safe, Time for Action’ report of the Commission for Global Road Safety and the Zenani Mandela Road Safety Scholarship, Minister Ndebele said: “It is the living who close the eyes of the dead, but it is the dead who must open the eyes of the living. South Africa fully supports the Make Roads Safe campaign as well as the Decade of Action for Road Safety, to reduce the appalling projected increase in road deaths. Let us strengthen this global movement that is demanding real action against road deaths, and save millions of lives and billions of dollars. But, we must act now.”
On 2 March 2010 governments around the world took the historic decision to increase action to address the road safety crisis over the next ten years.
The UN General Assembly resolution proclaiming a Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020 (A/64/255) was tabled by the Government of the Russian Federation and co-sponsored by more than 90 countries. The Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020 aims to save lives by halting the increasing trends in road traffic deaths and injuries world-wide.
Through the Decade, Member States, with the support of the international community, commit to actions in areas such as developing and enforcing legislation on key risk factors: limiting speed, reducing drunk-driving, and increasing the use of seatbelts, child restraints and motorcycle helmets. Efforts will also be undertaken to improve emergency trauma care, upgrade road and vehicle safety standards, promote road safety education and enhance road safety management generally.
This initiative comes on the heels of the First Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety, hosted by the Government of the Russian Federation in November 2009.
The "Moscow Declaration" issued by ministers and senior officials from 150 countries underlines the importance of protecting all road users, in particular those who are most vulnerable such as pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.
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