GRSP and GM China to develop a Blue Paper on China’s Urban Road Safety Sustainability
In August 2012, GRSP and GM China signed an agreement to jointly develop a Blue Paper on China’s Urban Road Safety Sustainability. The purposes of the Blue Paper include, but are not limited to:
- Responding to the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety (2011-2020);
- Raising awareness of the serious road safety issues in China;
- Recommending strategies and countermeasures to the central government;
- Initiating strategic advocacy with various stakeholders such as government agencies, academic institutions, the private sector and civil societies including international Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs);
- Showing GM China’s leadership position on Road Safety and providing guidelines to develop GM China Road Safety CSR initiatives.
The Blue Paper will focus on the unsafe behaviours of road users in China, such as not wearing seat belts or fitting child restraints, drink-driving, speeding, use of mobile phones when driving, fatigue, overloading, use of electric bikes (quiet and fast), new driver training as well as the recommended countermeasures to address such behaviours.
The GRSP China team has completed an initial analysis of the current traffic and road safety situation in China and is setting up an expert steering committee to provide guidance and technical support. During the process, GRSP will also work closely with Red Cross volunteers to conduct questionnaires and roadside observation in order to gain a better understanding of the reasons behind the unsafe behaviours of China’s road users.