GRSP Asia Seminar a success - Global Road Safety Partnership

30.07.2014

The Asian Development Bank (ADB), Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP), International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP) and Global New Car Assessment Programme (GNCAP) partnered to organize Asia Pacific Road Safety 2014 held over two weeks from 23 June to 4 July 2014 in Manila, Philippines. This comprehensive seminar, workshop and training programme comprised four key events, the GRSP Asia Seminar, iRAP Asia Pacific Workshop, ADB/ASEAN Train the Trainer Programme and GNCAP Workshop.

Since the first GRSP Asia Seminar in 2007, it has grown and cemented itself as a key event on the global road safety calendar, and this year witnessed another powerful step forward with its inclusion in, and the development of, the two week Asia Pacific Road Safety 2014 programme. The GRSP Asia Seminar was the opening event on the programme and focussed this year on the serious issue of child road safety in line with the theme for the Third UN Global Road Safety Week 2015 (4 – 10 May 2015).

The seminar saw over 300 road safety experts, practitioners, business representatives and senior government officials from all over the region and the world share ideas, initiatives and best practices to help reduce road deaths and injuries amongst vulnerable road users in the region and to stimulate support and action around the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020. The seminar also served as an important forum at which road safety advocates convened to gain strength, knowledge, guidance and support to help bring road safety to the forefront of government policy thinking.

The seminar speakers detailed topics including effective advocacy on road safety, evaluating road safety programmes for children, effective pedestrian treatments including improving safety for children, use of helmets, seat-belts and child restraints, and fostering partnerships with the private sector. GRSP member ARRB also conducted a practical workshop on the use of the new road safety assessment tool it has helped develop as part of the ‘Safe to School – Safe to Home’ project toolkit which is in use in communities throughout the region.

Global Road Safety Partnership CEO, Dr Pieter Venter said at the event, ‘The strength of the seminar and the support it receives from regional and global experts is impressive, yet what is even more rewarding is witnessing the growth of active partnerships and hearing year-on-year of the work being undertaken, and the progress made in countries, cities and communities as a result of the knowledge shared or the relationships built here. That’s the true power of such an event and we are proud of our role within it’.

The seminar is organised in partnership with iRAP and Philippines GRSP with the generous support from the Global Road Safety Initiative (GRSI) programme and its partners (Michelin, Renault, Shell, Total and Toyota), and from the FIA Foundation.