GRSP contributes to saving an estimated 311,758 lives between 2007 and 2030

For more than a decade, GRSP has proudly partnered with Bloomberg Philanthropies to improve global road safety. Since 2007, Bloomberg Philanthropies has committed US$259 million to support road safety interventions in many low- and middle-income countries and cities, noting that ‘cities and countries, particularly low- and middle-income countries where the vast majority of traffic crashes and deaths occur, often lack the expertise and support they need to tackle key road safety threats: weak and inadequate road safety laws; limited police enforcement of existing laws; minimal or nonexistent vehicle safety standards; and streets designed solely for vehicle use that fail to consider other road users like pedestrians’. https://www.bloomberg.org/public-health/improving-road-safety/  

An evaluation of the impact of this investment was conducted by researchers from Curtin University and Monash University. The full paper is available here:  https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/21/11185.   The researchers estimated that these Bloomberg Philanthropies-funded interventions saved 97,148 lives up until 2018 and will save a projected additional 214,608 lives by 2030.

GRSP is proud to be a long-standing partner in this work. Our Road Policing Capacity Building programme has provided expert enforcement training and support over many years to cities participating in the Bloomberg Philanthropies-funded work. The research evaluation shows that these activities, among others, are projected to save 8,453 lives, with particular emphasis on reductions in speeding and impaired driving through enforcement efforts.

Another critical component at the heart of saving lives on the road is strong legislation. Strengthening road safety laws is the primary aim of GRSP’s Road Safety Grants programme. We are proud to support in-country partners to achieve stronger, evidence-based laws to protect road users in Latin America, Asia and Africa. The research evaluation highlighted that ‘the tightening of weak legislation offers a very simple tool to save lives’. Legislative changes accounted for 75% of the estimated 311,758 lives to be saved by 2030. This is a tremendous outcome and demonstrates the significant contributions made by the organisations that have received funds through the GRSP Road Safety Grants programme to support their advocacy efforts in improving laws that focus on reducing speeding and drink driving, and promote the use of helmets, seatbelts and child restraints.

The entire GRSP team congratulates and thanks Bloomberg Philanthropies for undertaking this evaluation exercise and for their ongoing, extensive commitment to improve road safety in low- and middle-income countries.