UN Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020

In the RM road accidents are the leading cause of death for young people aged 15-19 and the second for those of 5-14 years old. Daily at least 2,000 school-aged children are killed or seriously injured on the world’s roads. 81% of all cases of children road trauma occure because of non-compliance of Road Traffic Regulations.

By 2015 road crashed are predicted to by the leading cause of death in developing countries of children over the age of 5.

It is estimated that annual deaths caused by road accidents will increase up to 1.9 million people by 2020. Every 6 seconds a person dies or is injured on roads worldwide. It is alarming that road accidents in recent years have become like an epidemic, which destroy the lives of over 1.3 million people worldwide and over 50 million others are seriously injured. Unique experience of many countries demonstrates that these tragedies can and must be stopped!

In this context, the UN General Assembly considers deaths and injuries in road accidents a barrier for achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

As it is known, to solve this very delicate problem of modern society, the United Nations in collaboration with the World Health Organization declared the 2011-2020 years as a global Decade of Action for road safety. The main goal of the Decade is to reduce significantly the number of road disasters, namely by taking various measures at national level in each state. However, to achieve these objectives there weas elaborated the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020, which provides a framework of activities over ten years. The categories or "pillars" of activities are: building road safety management capacity; improving the safety of road infrastructure and broader transport networks; further developing the safety of vehicles; enhancing the behaviour of road users; and improving post-crash care.

Thus, in 2011 the Republic of Moldova together with hundreds of other countries around the world committed to fight against the neglected road safety field and to draw particular attention to these disasters, which bring great damage to public health and national economy.

It should be noted that Moldova has taken specific steps for improving the road situation even before the proclamation of the Decade of Road Safety: establishment and reinforcement of the National Road Safety Council, development of the Action Plan for redressing the situation in road safety by 2014, elaboration of the National Road Safety Strategy, the official launch of the „Make Roads Safe” campaign in Moldova - actions aimed at  reorientation of public attention and attitude on the issue of road accidents and violations.

During the first year of the Decade ACM in cooperation with the Road Police conducted various social activities all over the country. In different localities, Comrat and Balti were distributed leaflets and brochureswith information of the main road accidents statistics and traffic rules. ACM in partnership with PublikaTV channel carried aut a social campaign entitled „Be aware on the roads, you are waited at home” in which we painted the missing pedestrian crossings, not only in the capital, but throughout the country. During a month primary school children from various schools from the country were presented with informative materials and reflective stickers. It should be mentioned that road safety issues are now intensively discussed in TV-shows and newspapers, which demonstrates the radical change of media’s attitude towards this issue.

In such a way, to continue our fight is very important to have the further and strong support of the authorities, and all the representatives of society, especially. So we call you to join us to prevent the numerous tragedies that take the lives of hundreds of people in Moldova.

We urge each of you to support this event that unites all of us - ”It is time for action”!