Experts Tighten Vehicle Safety, Implement New Tech

WHO and the China Automotive Technology and Research Center (CATARC) have convened over 100 experts to strengthen vehicle safety regulations and leverage emerging technologies for road safety.

A workshop on 'Improving Road Safety Through Evolving Technology and Vehicle Regulations,' was held alongside the 4th World Automobile Standards and Innovation Conference (WASIC) on 27 May in Shenzhen, China.

Nine in ten of the world's 1.2 million annual road deaths occur in low-and middle-income countries, and more half of all fatalities are among motorcycle riders, pedestrians and cyclists. Around 40% of UN Member States have no globally recognized vehicle safety standards in place. The workshop aimed to help close regulatory gaps and take measures to better protect these vulnerable road users.

"The number of motorcycles on the world's roads is rising at an astonishing rate. Protecting them is key to ensuring we meet the goal of a 50% drop in road deaths by 2030. We need a comprehensive approach, with stronger vehicle regulations and testing standards, safer road infrastructure, and proven policies that protect people," said Dr Fangfang Luo, WHO Technical Officer on Road Safety.

Participants came from the governments of Cambodia, Ghana, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Malaysia, Morocco, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Viet Nam, along with experts from the UN, regional organizations, standards bodies, research institutions and the automotive industry.

Participants shared experiences around advancing vehicle safety regulatory frameworks and road safety policies and practices in their countries and regions and explored the growing potential of vehicle technologies such as connected and automated systems in preventing fatal crashes, improving emergency responses and enhancing protections for everyone using the roads.

WHO partner CATARC and other partners launched a new global initiative to protect motorcyclists, pedestrians, cyclists and other vulnerable road users at the event. The initiative will work to ensure the needs of these vulnerable road users are included in vehicle safety regulations, promote the development and use of vehicle safety technologies to protect them, and strengthen global cooperation and knowledge exchange on road safety standards and regulations.