Road Safety

World Bank Transport Practice Sets Major Road Safety Requirement - July, 2020

The World Bank’s Transport Global Practice has set a new road safety requirement which will be applied to billions of dollars of World Bank loans and grants. The requirement is expected to prevent thousands of traffic deaths each year and tens of thousands of serious road injuries.

Upgraded roads financed by the World Bank are designed to carry more traffic at faster speeds, with corresponding economic benefits.  When roads are upgraded without rigorous safety measures, deaths and serious injuries rise as a result of the faster speeds and increased traffic volume.

The significance of the World Bank Transport Practice’s new requirement is that roads to be financed must now include safety measures such that the new road will have no more forecast fatalities than the original road, and will often have fewer fatalities as additional road safety opportunities are identified, even though there is more traffic and faster speeds.

In cases where it is claimed that this standard cannot be reached, there must be a review by the World Bank’s Global Road Safety Lead. If they agree that the standard cannot be reached, they would normally work with the project team to ensure that at least 7% of the project budget is devoted to safety measures which attain the best possible road safety result.  

The World Bank Global Director for the Transport Practice encouraged staff help deliver the best possible road safety outcomes to developing countries: “As we continue to follow the safe system approach in our dialogue with clients and in our investment projects, this new requirement will be a powerful opportunity to improve the safety of road infrastructure by incorporating the theme in the project appraisal process. We expect the new requirement to save thousands of lives each year.”

The Three Star Coalition, which worked with the World Bank in developing this new policy, welcomed the emphasis on road safety results. Three Star Coalition spokesperson Keith Johnson said “This new requirement is a key step forward that focuses on road safety outcomes. Compared to the previous situation, it will not only avert deaths, it will also avert tens of thousands of serious road crash injuries, which often leave people crippled for life.  We applaud the World Bank for this important road safety advance.” 

For further information contact Keith Johnson at +1 206 214 8870 or email him at k.johnson@fundforglobalhealth.org

According to the World Health Organization, road traffic crashes kill 1.2 million people every year.  That's nearly 3,300 people every day. Every year they injure as many as 50 million more.  Road traffic crashes are the #1 cause of death among young people (those aged 15–29 years).   This burden of this public health crisis is overwhelmingly borne by the poor: 90% of road traffic deaths occur in low and middle-income countries, yet these countries have just 54% of the world’s vehicles.

Unsafe roads are a major factor contributing to the large number of road crash deaths and injuries.  In the developing world, many roads are built without basic safety features like pedestrian crossings for children going to school.  We believe this needs to change.

 

Congressional Action

In 2015, forty-nine members of the US Congress signed letters so to World Bank President Jim Kim urging him to implement a three-star minimum safety standard on all roads the Bank finances. The bipartisan congressional letters provide an excellent overview of the pressing need for the Bank to implement improved safety standards for the roads it finances in order to “…greatly reduce disability and injuries and enhance economic growth.”

What we’re doing to help: The 3-Star Coalition

Road traffic injuries are one of the most important – and most neglected – public health challenges of our time.  Road traffic injuries kill some 1.3 million people each year, and injure as many as 50 million more.  Ninety percent of the deaths are in the developing world. 

Most of the victims are low-income people, including pedestrians, people on bicycles, and children crossing roads to get to school.

Unsafe roads are a major factor contributing to the large number of road crash deaths and injuries.  In the developing world, many roads are built without basic safety features like pedestrian crossings for children going to school.  We believe this needs to change.

ABOUT THE 3-STAR COALITION

The 3-Star Coalition is a group of like-minded organizations working to build a healthier world by advocating for the design and construction of safer roads in the developing world. Specifically, we advocate for roads in developing countries to be built to a minimum three-star safety standard for all road users.  We urge organizations such as the World Bank to establish minimum safety standards for the roads they finance. We see safer road construction as part of a comprehensive systems approach that also includes improved enforcement of road safety laws, public education, and strong national leadership on road safety.

WHY 3 STARS

The International Road Assessment Program (iRAP) is the main global organization that assesses roads for safety; iRAP has developed an engineering-based system for rating the safety of a road on a scale from one to five stars, considering the safety of all road users, including pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists in addition to that of vehicle occupants.  iRAP has determined that a three-star rating for all road users is economically viable and should be implemented on all road projects.  According to iRAP, every additional star can reduce the number of crash-related injuries on a road by approximately half.

US CONGRESS SENDS 3-STAR LETTER TO THE WORLD BANK

Forty-nine members of the US Congress have written bipartisan letters to World Bank President Jim Kim urging him to implement a three-star minimum safety standard on all roads the Bank finances.  The World Bank, which is the largest provider of development aid for roads, currently does not require a minimum safety standard for the roads that it finances.  The members of the 3-Star Coalition thank these Members of Congress for taking this important stand.

JOIN THE 3-STAR COALITION

You can help build a world with safer roads.  Please contact us and we will add your name to the list of those who want a world with safer roads.  We will keep you updated on the activities of Coalition and actions you can to take to advocate for a minimum safety standard for road construction.

COALITION MEMBERS

Americas

  • AAA

Europe

  • Asociatia Keep Hope Alive, Romania

  • Associazione Italiana Professionisti Sicurezza Stradale (AIPSS), Italy

  • BKA Auto Club, Belarus

  • Dr. Aleksandra Barac, Serbia

  • Eastern Alliance for Safe and Sustainable Transport, UK

  • European Federation of Road Traffic Victims

  • Irish Road Victims Association

  • Kosovo Association of Motorization, Republic of Kosovo (amrks.org)

  • La Prevention Routiere Internationale (PRI), Netherlands

  • Safe Crossings, Netherlands


Africa

  • AAPCTIC, Algeria

  • Alinagnon, Benin

  • Ambassadeurs de la Sécurité Routière, Tunisia

  • AMPROUD, Morocco

  • Association des Familles de Victimes des Accidents de la Circulation (AFVAC), Cameroon

  • Association for Safe International Road Travel (ASIRT), Kenya

  • AVA-TOGO

  • Chariots of Destiny, Kenya

  • Children & Young People Living for Peace, Nigeria

  • Globastorm Safety Foundation, Nigeria

  • Highway Safety Initiatives, Nigeria

  • Medical Doctors Inter-Community Health Initiative (MICHI-AFRICA), Nigeria

  • Mobilité Club Maroc, Morocco

  • NADA Foundation for Safer Egyptian Roads

  • Nigerians Unite for Road Safety

  • Organisation des Jeunes Ivoiriens pour la Securite Routiere, Ivory Coast

  • Pamoja Road Safety Initiative, Kenya

  • PeerCorps Trust, Tanzania

  • Private Sector Road Safety Forum of Namibia

  • Road Accident Information and Rescue Organization, Nigeria

  • Road Transport and Safety Agency, Zambia

  • Safedrive Africa Foundation, Kenya

  • Safe Roads to Health, Ethiopia and U.S.

  • Safety Beyond Borders, Nigeria

  • Save Life Liberia

  • Save the Nation Association, Ethiopia

  • Smart Drivers Organization, Kenya

  • Society of Road Safety Ambassadors, Botswana

  • South Africans Against Drunk Driving (SADD)

  • Uganda Red Cross

  • United Nations Youth Association of Cameroon

  • Zambian Road Safety Trust


    Asia

  • AIP Foundation, Vietnam

  • Association Zeina Hauch Pour La Promotion Routiere, Lebanon

  • Avoid Accident, India

  • Center for Road Safety, India

  • Centre for Environment Education, India

  • Centre for Injury Prevention and Research, Bangladesh

  • Concern for Road and Pedestrian Safety (CoRPS), India

  • Indian Federation of Road Safety

  • Indian Head Injury Foundation

  • Kunhadi, Lebanon

  • NASA Foundation Nepal

  • National Automobile Club of Azerbaijan (AMAK)

  • People's Trust, India

  • Project C.A.R.E.S. Inc, Philippines

  • Road Safety Supporters Society, Iran

  • Roads for Life, Lebanon

  • Safe Drive Save Life, India

  • Safe Kids Malaysia

  • Shubhamsoti Foundation, India

  • Swatantrata Abhiyan, Nepal

  • TRAX Road Safety NGO, India

  • Zahara Batool, Pakistan