On the occasion of the 7th UN Global Road Safety Week, UNECE together with UNICEF Uzbekistan and the Ministry of Interior of Uzbekistan organized a workshop to discuss how to improve the national road safety system in the country.
The workshop kicked off with a policy dialogue with national road safety stakeholders on the preliminary findings and recommendations of Uzbekistan’s Road Safety Performance Review (RSPR), and it was followed by a capacity-building workshop on speed management and safe vehicles.
The objective was to strengthen capacities of national road safety stakeholders to upgrade the national road safety system based on the report’s findings, to share best practices on speed management and enforcement, and to highlight the importance and benefits of efficient implementation of United Nations road safety-related legal instruments.
In line with the focus of 7th UN Global Road Safety Week on sustainable transport and the need to shift to walking, cycling and using public transport, participants stressed that safety for all road users must be at the core of all efforts to reimagine mobility. Road networks must be designed with the vulnerable users in mind: children, adolescents, persons with disabilities, pedestrians, cyclists, and users of public transport.
In the past decade, the Government of Uzbekistan has demonstrated a long-term commitment to improve road safety. However, the number of fatal road traffic accidents in Uzbekistan remains high, reflecting the need for a systemic approach to update the national road safety system.
Mr. Nenad Nikolic, Regional Advisor UNECE, emphasized that national guidelines and standards for road design should be updated and meticulously applied for better active and passive safety of road infrastructure. Particular attention should be paid to speed limits in urban areas which should be lowered to 50 km/h and 30 km/h in school zones and shared area to ensure safe speeds for all road users.
“Children and young people remain the largest casualties of road traffic accidents, globally and in Uzbekistan. Yet, most of these road injuries and fatalities are preventable,” said Munir Mammadzade, UNICEF Representative in Uzbekistan. “UNICEF will join UNECE and other partners in supporting the Government to address the Road Safety Performance Review findings for Uzbekistan.”
“Road safety promotional, awareness-raising and educational activities are considered essential in improving road safety and reflected in a series of government documents. Meanwhile, everyone can have a role in rethinking and improving mobility where they live by being more aware and watching out for pedestrians and cyclists; slowing down in areas where people convene, around schools where children meet, learn and play,” explained Olim Saidov, Head of the General Directorate of Road Safety of the Ministry of the Interior of Uzbekistan.
Note to editors
The Road Safety Performance Review (RSPR) is designed to help beneficiary countries to strengthen the road safety system and effectively address and improve national road safety records. It identifies gaps in national institutional, legal and regulatory frameworks, in technical, financial and statistical capacities, and any other economic or social problems preventing the country from establishing or upgrading road safety management system. Assessing all elements of the road safety management system and the linkages between them is critical for any country seeking to improve its current performance levels.
Find out more: https://unece.org/unda-road-safety-management-capacity-building-project and Road Safety Performance Review | UNECE