IPNEWS: In Observance of this year’s Road Safety Week, the Liberia National Red Cross, in partnership with the Liberia National Police, on Monday, November 21, 2022, began massive road safety awareness along the Monrovia to Gbarnga highway.
According to a release from the Liberia National Red Cross, it remains grateful to Inspector General, Patrick Sudue and the Liberia National Police headquarters for partnering with them for the launch of the road safety awareness campaign.
The release also noted that the partnership with the Liberia National Red Cross Society, in sharing and meeting the common objective of providing much-needed community services that play a critical role in promoting road safety.
SEE THE FULL TEXT OF THE LNR STATEMENT
Event Overview
The first death involving a motor vehicle is said to have taken place in London in 1896. Since then, road crashes have claimed more than 30 million lives. Throughout the world, there is great concern as the number of people killed and injured on the road spirals ever upward and as the number of motor vehicles continues to grow. Worldwide, road crashes currently kill more than two people every minute. Liberia is no exception.
However, in 2020, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution on “Improving Global Road Safety”. This was a welcoming development and governments around the world reaffirmed their commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, proclaiming the period 2021-2030 as the Decade of Action for Road Safety.
The resolution set a target to reduce by at least 50% the number of road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030. This year marks the second year of the Decade of action to reduce road traffic deaths and injuries by 50%.
The campaign
Considering this background, we must act together to save lives and make our roads safe for all. As part of our actions, we are working with the Liberia National Police and today we are pleased to jointly launch a Road Safety Awareness Campaign in Grand Bassa, Margibi and Bong to help educate motorists on the use of the roads and safety measures to help minimize road accidents and improve road safety in Liberia.
We want to remind every motorist that speed thrills but kills. Therefore, everyone should avoid overspeeding, overtake carefully and drive safely. Don’t be the driving force behind traffic accidents; avoid phone calls and texting while driving and all follow traffic rules to Save your Future.
During the weeklong campaign, we will share important road safety messages on how we can all use roads safely to protect ourselves and other road users, we will promote safe roads and enable everyone to make safe and healthy journeys; we will create sensitization on how speeding and other forms of reckless driving/riding are major causes of accidents and we will remind the public crash victims and share their stories.
Traffic accidents can push entire families into poverty through either the loss of a breadwinner or the costs associated with lost income and prolonged medical care.
When we think about how we can all use roads safely to protect ourselves and other road users, we also understand how safe roads can enable everyone to make safe and healthy journeys. When we remember road crash victims, we say that no deaths on our streets are acceptable.
Road safety falls under the umbrella of the universal right to health for which safety is paramount and must be made a top priority.
Everyone has a role to play. From drivers to motorcyclists and pedestrians, each person must accept their responsibilities and the time for action is now. Safe roads offer the promise of a safer, healthier, and better future for everyone, everywhere. Let us seize this opportunity and act appropriately in making the roads safe for all.
Safer roads promote sustainable development. Today we call for more ambitious and urgent action to reduce the biggest risks – such as speeding; driving under the influence of alcohol or any psychoactive substance or drug; failure to use seatbelts, helmets and child restraints; unsafe road infrastructure and unsafe vehicles: poor pedestrian safety, and non-compliance to traffic rules and regulations.
From education, health, and transport to climate mitigation, land-use planning, and disaster response, road safety must be integrated in our national policies and plans. Together, we can save lives, support development, and steer our world to safer roads ahead, leaving no one behind.
Making Safe Roads a Reality
We welcome the resolution adopted in 2020 by the High-level Meeting of the UN General Assembly on Improving Global Road Safety and accept the period 2021-2030 as the Decade of Action for Road Safety. But to achieve the target by reducing the number of road traffic deaths and injuries by at least 50% in 2030, it requires our collective efforts to turn this vision into reality. This is why we are acting now along with the Police to engage all road users by face-to-face, radio and social media to create awareness for safe roads.
Putting safety at the heart of our mobility systems is an urgent health, economic and moral imperative. Let’s work together to scale up our actions to save lives and make safe roads a reality.
With the overall theme “The 2030 horizon for road safety: securing a decade of action and delivery”, the Liberia National Red Cross Society in partnership with the Liberia National Police is organizing a major road safety awareness campaign under the theme: “Safe Roads For All”.
Our road safety campaign targets commercial drivers, motorists, community members, and pedestrians including students to shout out for everyone’s right to make safe and healthy journeys on safe roads. The campaign will raise awareness of key areas of road safety including safe roads, safe vehicles, and speeds, engaging all road users, and highlighting the importance to keep us all safe on the roads, no matter who we are, or how we travel.
Again, our Road Safety Awareness Campaign covering Grand Bassa, Margibi, and Bong Counties aims to help educate motorists on the use of the roads and safety measures to help minimize road accidents and improve road safety in Liberia.
We want to encourage every motorist to be safe and drive smart.
Thanks for coming and once more we appreciate the partnership with the Police.
