In 1998, the IFRC published the World Disasters Report and termed road crash deaths and injuries a severe “man-made humanitarian disaster”.

Despite existing road safety efforts, coordinated, evidence-based actions and sufficient funding were still needed to address the issue effectively.

With initial funding from the World Bank, the UK’s DFID (now FCO), and early members, and supported by a hosting agreement from the IFRC, the Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) was founded as a tri-sector partnership between civil society, businesses, and government to effectively address complex health issues.

Ghana established the first of the National Road Safety Partnerships, a road safety-focused NGO operating under an MOU signed with the GRSP.

The year 2001 marked the launch of the very first GRSP website to share information and news of GRSP, members, and partners.

David Silcock was appointed as GRSP’s first Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in April 2002.

The Safer City Roads programme was launched in Brazil, incorporating the Proactive Partnership Strategy (PPS) methodology to help communities improve the quality of life in their cities.

With three new city-based projects launched in Thailand, India and Brazil, GRSP strengthened its position as a programmatic organization.

The WHO dedicated World Health Day to road safety for the first time.

The World Report of Road Traffic Injury Prevention was jointly launched by WHO and the World Bank.

United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) passed a resolution urging greater attention and resources be directed towards the global road safety crisis.

A UN resolution (A/58/L.60) was passed reaffirming the UN’s commitment to solving the road safety crisis.

The Global Road Safety Initiative (GRSI) was launched to address road crash fatalities and injuries, uniting private sector companies and global road safety experts. Spanning three phases until 2016, it positively impacted Brazil, China, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Zambia, Laos, Morocco and Nigeria.

Achievements included developing the Good Practice Manuals series and aligning actions with the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety, and fostering collaboration across public, private and civil sectors in ten countries.

GRSP membership grew to 28, as well as a number of supporting members.

The first United Nations Road Safety Collaboration (UNRSC) good practice manual was published, emphasizing the issue of helmets. The organizations contributing to the publication series were: GRSP, WHO, FIA Foundation and the World Bank.

The first UN Global Road Safety Week was launched.

GRSP and IFRC jointly published A Practical Guide on Road Safety.

The GRSP launched its first Road Safety Regional Event in Bali, Indonesia. The GRSP Road Safety Regional Events are a programme of high profile, capacity-building and knowledge-sharing events in the Asia-Pacific and Africa regions.

Andrew Pierce was appointed as GRSP’s second CEO.

The GRSP held its Asia-Pacific Road Safety Regional Event in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

GRSP joined the Make Roads Safe Campaign’s call for a “Decade of Action” on road safety.

The GRSP held its Asia-Pacific Road Safety Regional Event in Singapore.

In 2010, GRSP joined a consortium with the World Health Organization (WHO), Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, World Bank Global Road Safety Facility (GRSF), Association of Safe International Road Travel, and World Resources Institute (EMBARQ).

Funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the consortium launched RS10, a 125-million-USD, five-year programme aimed at reducing road crash deaths and injuries.

The GRSP held its Asia-Pacific Road Safety Regional Event in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

The TRACECA Road Safety II project united governments and civil society to promote the safety and security of road users, public property and the environment within the Europe-Caucasus-Asia region’s transport corridor.

Led by GRSP, the Regional Road Safety Action Plan outlined initiatives to enhance government and civil society capacity, promote sustainable partnerships and knowledge sharing, and foster collaboration within the Eastern Europe, Caucasus, and Central Asia sub-regions.

The GRSP implemented project activities in close partnership with the Eastern Alliance for Safe and Sustainable Transport (EASST), Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies, and road safety organizations.

The EuroMed regional project on Road, Rail, and Urban Transport programme was launched with funding from the European Union. This project aimed to reduce road crash deaths and injuries in targeted countries and pilot communities in Algeria, Morocco, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, and Tunisia.

Dr Pieter Venter was appointed as GRSP’s CEO.

“I was privileged to be associated with GRSP for 17 of the 25 years of its existence. I still greatly value and appreciate the opportunities I had to learn about the challenges faced by road users, especially in the low-income countries, and to witness how people’s lives were positively affected through the support of GRSP partners. I salute all past and present partners, supporters and staff members and wish GRSP to achieve even greater successes to change minds and save lives in the coming years.”.

The GRSP held its Asia-Pacific Road Safety Regional Event in Bangkok, Thailand.

The GRSP held its first Africa Road Safety Regional Event in Lusaka, Zambia.

The Safe to School – Safe to Home programme launched in Vietnam, South Africa, and China. It included assessing road safety conditions, implementing low-cost traffic engineering improvements, providing road safety education for children, parents, and communities, and enhancing enforcement of helmet use, parking restrictions, and speed limits.

The GRSP held its Asia-Pacific Road Safety Regional Event in Manila, Philippines.

The GRSP held its Africa Road Safety Regional Event in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The GRSP held its Asia-Pacific Road Safety Regional Event in Manila, Philippines.

The GRSP held its Africa Road Safety Regional Event in Cape Town, South Africa.

Building on the success of RS10, 2015 marked the beginning of the second five-year phase of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ programme to reduce road traffic fatalities and injuries: the Bloomberg Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS) 2015-2019.

With a new commitment of $125 million over five years, GRSP invited 20 low- and middle-income cities and countries to compete for funding and support. The aim was to strengthen road safety legislation at the national level and implement proven road safety interventions at the city level. Ten cities and five countries were selected as official participants in the programme.

Dr Barry Watson was appointed as GRSP’s CEO.

“GRSP has made a unique contribution to global road safety by bringing together government, business and civil society organizations to tackle the problem at the local level. This ‘on the ground’ approach has ensured that the initiatives supported by GRSP are not only evidence-based, but are locally-owned and culturally appropriate. Together with its many capacity-building activities, this has allowed GRSP to enhance the road safety capability of numerous cities and countries around the world.”.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were instituted in 2015 with the aim to “end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity.”.

Comprising 17 goals, they serve as a comprehensive roadmap for global development. Road Safety’s direct contributions to the SDGs are encapsulated within targets 3.6 and 11.2.

Target 3.6 aims to reduce global fatalities and injuries from road traffic crashes by half by 2030.
Target 11.2 strives for universal access to safe, affordable, and sustainable transportation systems by 2030.

The GRSP held its Asia-Pacific Road Safety Regional Event in Manila, Philippines.

The GRSP held its Africa Road Safety Regional Event in Lusaka, Zambia.

Andrew Bradley from Nestlé was appointed as the Chair of GRSP’s Executive Committee.

The first Global Road Safety Leadership Course (GRSLC) was held in Baltimore (USA) with instrumental support from the Johns Hopkins International Injury Research Unit (JH-IIRU). The course was designed to enhance the leadership skills of road safety professionals to design, advocate for, and implement effective road safety programmes and policies.

Immediately establishing itself as a prominent programme under the BIGS-GRSP umbrella, the course would go on to expand to include the Road Safety Executive Leadership Course (RSELC), Road Policing Executive Leadership Course (RPELC), GRSLC: Initiative Partners, and GRSLC: Alumni Fellowship Program to address different demographics.

In addition to Baltimore, the GRSLC and its courses would go on to be conducted in Buenos Aires (Argentina), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), and Nairobi (Kenya).

The GRSP held its Asia-Pacific Road Safety Regional Event in Beijing, China.

The GRSP held its Africa Road Safety Regional Event in Durban, South Africa.

Working with Shell and the Myanmar Red Cross, GRSP helps implement a far-reaching speed and community education campaign in Myanmar.

Held in Thailand, GRSP delivered a tailored, three-day road safety training programme for Save the Children programme and operation teams from seven countries.

David Cliff was appointed as GRSP’s CEO.

Following the success of the Insurance for Safer Roads initiative, a GRSP member-led effort (AXA, eDriving, Nestlé, and Zurich) focusing on improving road safety through the insurance industry in low- and middle-income countries, GRSP published Insuring Safer Roads – A Global Guide to Strengthen the Insurance Industry’s Contribution to Road Safety.

This publication incorporated insights from the Insurance for Safer Roads workshop, addressing data issues and building the business case for insurers to contribute to safer roads.

The GRSP held its Asia-Pacific Road Safety Regional Event in Manila, Philippines.

The GRSP held its Africa Road Safety Regional Event in Cape Town, South Africa.

In 2017, the Fondation Botnar in partnership with the GRSP, launched the Botnar Child Road Safety Challenge (BCRSC). The BCRSC worked to improve the safety and livelihoods of children and youth through municipal level projects in medium sized cities in seven priority countries: India, Mexico, Tanzania, Tunisia, Romania, South Africa and Viet Nam. The Challenge focused on evidence-based, innovative interventions with active participation and collaboration between governments, civil society and the private sector.

Building on momentum in Myanmar, GRSP facilitated the first workshop of the Myanmar Road Safety Collaboration, bringing together private sector and civil society to support government action. Collaboration members included Shell, 3M, TotalEnergies, Michelin, SUU Foundation and the Myanmar Red Cross.

Convened by Shell for a range of private sector organizations with road exposure in Mozambique, GRSP designed and facilitated a Road Safety Forum to address shared challenges and successes in managing road risk in the country.

The GRSP held its Africa Road Safety Regional Event in Cape Town, South Africa.

In 2019, with support of the Michelin Corporate Foundation, GRSP, together with implementing partners the South African Road Safety Partnership, the South African Red Cross and Youth for Road Safety (YOURS), commenced a three-year Youth Ambassadors for Road Safety programme in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

With support of Michelin Corporate Foundation, and working with local partners Vale Foundation and the Mayoral Office of the prefecture of Canaa Dos Carajas (Brazil), GRSP commenced support of the Educating Cities programme taking a holistic approach to sustainable urban mobility.

The second phase of the Bloomberg Philanthropies-funded BIGRS programme commenced with an ambition to save 600,000 lives and prevent up to 22 million injuries in low- and middle-income countries.

In 2019 the VIA – Road Safety Education for a New Generation programme was launched. Funded by the corporate foundations of Michelin and TotalEnergies, over four years VIA trained more than 370,000 children and youths aged 10 to 18 distributed in 40 countries on safer road use.

The GRSP held its Asia-Pacific Road Safety Regional Event in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

With support of UPS and FIA Foundation, and working with local NGO United Way Mumbai, GRSP launched the Two Wheels One Life project working with university students using powered-two wheelers.

Building on the success of the Road Safety Forum in Mozambique, Shell again convened a similar forum in Egypt, again facilitated by GRSP. Participants included BP, Siemens, General Motors, Apache and AXA.

Anne-Valérie Troy of TotalEnergies was appointed as the Chair of GRSP’s Executive Committee.

When COVID-19 struck in March, the IFRC promptly closed its global offices to prioritize staff and family health. Following suit, GRSP transitioned to remote work arrangements. Despite challenges, GRSP adapted through innovative strategies and strong collaboration, embracing virtual meetings, online training, and digital platforms to fulfill its commitments to affected communities, members and partners.

Some shifts included: Road Policing Capacity Building Programme (RPCB) training was delivered online in African and Asian countries and a digital platform was put together for the Global Road Safety Leadership Course (GRSLC) participants.

The Road Safety Capacity Building Programme (RSCBP) was launched, featuring immersive workshops and focused assignments on implementing the Safe System Approach. This initiative translated theoretical approaches into practical interventions for governments and NGOs.

In the year 2020 GRSP welcomed Bridgestone as a new member and commenced close work on a Bridgestone Asia-Pacific Regional Road Safety Initiative (2020-2022).

GRSP published in partnership with the Global Road Safety Facility of the World Bank a Guide for Determining Readiness for Speed Cameras and Other Automated Enforcement.

GRSP’s advocacy and grants programme expanded to include: Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Ghana, Bangladesh, Vietnam, China, Malaysia, Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil and Argentina.

Following a rigorous academic review, the Bloomberg Philanthropies-funded RS10 and BIGRS (phase one) programmes estimated that 311,758 lives will have been saved by 2030, with 97,148 lives saved up until 2018 when the evaluation was conducted and a further 214,608 lives projected to be saved if these changes are sustained until 2030.

GRSP, in partnership with the Italian Red Cross, launched the Asia-Pacific Road Safety Regional Programme, focusing on Nepal, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.

GRSP provided digital Road Safety Essentials (RSE) training for Corporate Social Investment teams of Michelin from around the world. Developed by GRSP, RSE is a tailored, private sector and NGO-focussed two-hour course covering the ‘essentials’: global and local data, risk factors, Safe System Approach, project design, and monitoring and evaluation.

GRSP published A Guide to the Use of Penalties to Improve Road Safety and a Technical Guide to Assist the Implementation of Child Restraint Systems (CRS) in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

Bernd Marx from Shell was appointed as the Chair of GRSP’s Executive Committee.

The Global Road Policing Network (GRPN) and its companion newsletter were launched.

The Strategic Plan 2022-2030 was published.

GRSP supported Bridgestone to leverage the work done on the pilot Asia-Pacific Regional Road Safety Initiative (2020-2022) which brought road safety actions under a single regional umbrella to develop a strategy for taking this coordinated approach global.

At the invitation of long-time member Shell, GRSP visited Oman to present the VIA Child Road Safety Education programme to the Ministry of Education (MoE) and the Royal Oman Police (ROP). The programme was well received and a pilot and review were conducted. This would lead to structured road safety education becoming a fixture in Oman schools for the first time.

GRSP published the revised Green Manual focussed on Drink Driving.

GRSP in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University – International Injury Research Unit (JHU-IIRU) delivered the first Road Policing Executive Leadership Course in Nairobi, Kenya with funding from Bloomberg Philanthropies.

The Impact Catalyst-funded Limpopo Road Safety Project (LRSP) was launched in collaboration with the South African Red Cross and the South Africa Road Safety Partnership.

The GRSP started a collaboration with the IFRC South Caucus Cluster Delegation, Azerbaijan Red Crescent, and Turkish Red Crescent to implement an evidence-based, structured road safety education project aimed at improving road safety and school access in remote areas of Azerbaijan.

The GRSP held its Asia-Pacific Road Safety Regional Event in Manila, Philippines.

The GRSP, in collaboration with Folksam Insurance Company (Sweden), hosted an expert roundtable focusing on providing an opportunity to explore incentivizing private sector road safety performance monitoring and accreditation, and how this will translate into increased investment value.

2023 marked the conclusion of the Botnar Child Road Safety Challenge project activities, all of which resulted in positive change in the 13 project cities in seven countries and built lasting partnerships between highly skilled and motivated actors. A holistic perspective on the major outputs, outcomes, reach and case studies from the Challenge has been captured and presented through an interactive Data Visualisation Platform.

GRSP, together with the Asian Development Bank (ABD), the International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP), and the Asia Pacific Road Safety Observatory (APRSO), won a 2023 Prince Michael International Road Safety Award for a joint Road Safety Capacity Building Programme. The programme engaged more than 1,500 participants from over 50 countries drawn from governments, non-governmental organizations, development banks and academic institutions.

GRSP published the revised Green Manual focussed on Speed Management.

GRSP in conjunction with Johns Hopkins University – International Injury Research Unit (JHU-IIRU) delivered the first Road Safety Executive Leadership Course in Buenos Aires, Argentina with funding from Bloomberg Philanthropies.

GRSP in collaboration with the Namibian Road Safety Council delivered a road safety capacity building training programme.

On reaching the 25th anniversary of GRSP, David Cliff, GRSP CEO stated:

“We are immensely proud to reach this important milestone. A quarter of a century of meaningful activity is no small deed. However, the job is far from done. With an ongoing increase in motorisation, particularly the volume of powered two wheelers and micro mobility, we must continue to build understanding of ‘evidence based’ measures to reduce road trauma.
Sadly, too many initiatives are still based on ‘common sense’ rather than solid evidence as to what we know works to reduce serious crashes.”.

The Italian Red Cross and GRSP started the second phase of the Asia-Pacific Road Safety Programme, which includes projects in Pakistan, Malaysia, and Samoa.

The GRSP held its Africa Road Safety Regional Event in Nairobi, Kenya.

The Bridgestone Global Road Safety Programme, developed in partnership with the GRSP, was recognized with the prestigious Prince Michael of Kent International Road Safety Award 2024.

GRSP’s Road Policing Capacity Building Programme which is part of the Bloomberg Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS) expanded to include Mexico, Brazil and additional cities in India.

GRSP delivered a Road Policing Executive Leadership Course in Vanuatu for the 21 nations of the Pacific with support from the Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police.