The Road Ethics Project (REP) had their 3rd birthday on September 13th 2022, making them eligible for Global Alliance membership – and, guess what?! Membership was approved in time for their co-founder Dr Lee Randall to attend the Alliance’s 8th Global Meeting in the week of 6-10 March 2023. Unfortunately, not in person as it was held in El Salvador. Instead she was part of a number of virtual workshops and plenary sessions including an Africa Chapter meeting on Monday the 6th. A big thank you to MasterDrive for sponsoring the US$40 registration fee.
Dr Randall comments: “It was really short notice that I became eligible to attend the Global Meeting – REP’s membership came through literally days before! Luckily, the time difference was in my favour: the in-person events in El Salvador kicked off around 5pm South African time and ran until midnight or later, so I could still honour all my existing daytime commitments before logging on. I ended the week exhausted but inspired!
The Alliance is maintaining a count-down to the end of the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030, which has a goal of halving global road deaths. With fewer than 2 800 days to go, an Accountability Toolkit (launched at the 8th Global Meeting) is being rolled out to member NGOs through virtual training sessions. This is aimed at empowering NGOs to hold our governments to account and will be an invaluable resource as we advocate for a safer, more ethical road traffic system.
Excitingly, the Global Alliance’s next global meeting will take place somewhere in Africa in 2025 and we’re determined to be there in person if at all possible.
For more about the Global Alliance and the Accountability Toolkit, click here: https://www.roadsafetyngos.org
United Nations Global Road Safety Week 15-21 May 2023
This is timed to go out during Global Road Safety Week (GRSW), a two-yearly push to give road safety its rightful place on the public health agenda around the world. This year the theme is #RethinkMobility, which includes being conscious of how motorized transport contributes to climate change and physical inactivity, with their attendant health consequences. GRSW also brings attention to the ongoing pandemic of road crashes causing injuries, disabilities and deaths. This especially affects the most vulnerable – people who get around by walking, cycling, wheeling or using unsafe public transport.
We ask all supporters of the Road Ethics Project to take part in Global Road Safety Week by:
Visiting https://www.who.int/campaigns/un-global-road-safety-week/2023
Upping your knowledge of the road safety crisis by checking out these resources:
https://www.who.int/health-topics/road-safety
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/road-traffic-injuries
Posting road safety messages on social media
Lastly, feel free to forward this newsletter to anyone who may be interested (with their permission, of course). Many thanks to our website designer Paul (Lucky Dog), who stepped up at short notice to help get it out on time!
Please hit the Join us button below to find out how to become a Supporter or Donor (once-off or recurring). We will also gladly send you more information on our activities – email queries to lee@roadethicsproject.africa
