The Fourth Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety convened in Marrakech, Morocco, from 18 to 20 February 2025, under the theme “Commit to Life.” This pivotal gathering brought together leaders and experts from over 100 countries to accelerate actions aimed at halving global road deaths and injuries by 2030, as outlined in the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Adoption of the Marrakech Declaration
A significant outcome of the conference was the unanimous endorsement of the Marrakech Declaration for Global Road Safety. This declaration calls on governments worldwide to prioritise road safety politically, ensure sustained funding, and implement strategic actions to reduce road trauma. It emphasises the necessity for evidence-based strategies, robust coordination, and adequate financing to meet the world’s ambitious target.
The Critical Role of Road Policing
A strong emphasis was placed on effective road policing, with experts highlighting its role in ensuring compliance with speed limits, seatbelt, child restraint and helmet use, and drink-driving laws. Several nations have made strides in increasing road policing efforts, particularly those focussed on speed enforcement, random roadside breath testing and ensuring motorcycle riders and passengers are wearing and fastening quality helmets. However, gaps remain, particularly in countries where policing is underfunded or where political will to enforce laws is lacking.
There is a clear correlation between high volumes of road policing and reductions in road deaths and severe injuries. Countries have demonstrated that zero-tolerance policing of speeding and impaired driving leads to fewer fatalities and serious injuries. In contrast, nations that continue to treat road safety as an afterthought, with low penalties and weak enforcement, contribute to avoidable deaths and injuries.
Failure to Implement Global Speed Recommendations
While the conference saw many positive commitments, one of the most glaring failures remains the reluctance of many countries to adopt safe system-based speed limits as outlined in the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030. Despite overwhelming evidence that lower speeds save lives, some governments continue to resist adopting internationally recommended limits, namely:
Countries that have failed to implement life saving speed limits, often under pressure from motoring lobby groups and political inertia – are directly undermining global efforts to reduce road trauma. The refusal to lower urban speed limits to 30 km/h disproportionately impacts children, elderly pedestrians, and cyclists, who remain the most vulnerable. Similarly, the continued allowance of dangerously high speeds on non-median divided rural roads significantly increases the risk of fatal and serious injury crashes.
Conclusion
The Marrakech conference marked a significant milestone in global road safety efforts, fostering renewed commitments, strategic partnerships, and actionable plans. With the adoption of the Marrakech Declaration and the announcement of concrete national initiatives, the global community has reinforced its dedication to creating safer roads and achieving the ambitious goal of reducing road fatalities and injuries by half by 2030.
However, political inaction, weak road policing, and refusal to implement safe system-based speed limits remain major obstacles. Countries that continue to prioritise the speeding fixation of some motorists over human lives must be held accountable for the avoidable deaths and severe injuries occurring on their roads. The real test lies not in making commitments but in delivering tangible, life-saving actions.
Officials from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), officers from Mombasa Police, and representatives from the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS) on 10 December 2024 started a campaign in Mombasa County urging drivers and road users to follow traffic rules, cross at designated zebra crossings, follow traffic signs, and ensure that motorcyclists wear reflective elements and helmets.
Started before the festive season, this campaign also encouraged drivers to avoid speeding, drinking and driving, and reckless behaviour. The campaign was supported by stricter enforcement measures.
Officials from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), officers from Mombasa Police, and representatives from the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS) on 10 December 2024 started a campaign in Mombasa County urging drivers and road users to follow traffic rules, cross at designated zebra crossings, follow traffic signs, and ensure that motorcyclists wear reflective elements and helmets. Started before the festive season, this campaign also encouraged drivers to avoid speeding, drinking and driving, and reckless behaviour. The campaign was supported by stricter enforcement measures.
The outreach effort has been multipronged. Notably, local traffic experts engaged the public directly to raise the awareness of all road users on the legislation around, and consequences of speeding. “The ‘Slow down, save your life’ message must reach and work for everyone.”, said John Parteroi, deputy director general of NTSA Coast Region during the campaign launch in Mombasa. He then further stressed the need for the public to remain alert and understand their agency in mitigating their risks on the road.
In parallel with the messaging, police forces carried out a number of enforcement activities aimed to raise public awareness about road safety, the dangers of speeding and other key risk factors, for example drink driving. These activities were intensified during the festive season, with a clear objective: ensure a holiday period as safe as possible for all road users.
To support this effort, police officers from the National Police Service (NPS) in Mombasa, received early training on safe speed enforcement and best practices from the Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP).
As experienced trainers, we understand that implementing changes in any organization can be challenging, particularly in enforcement agencies where established systems are already in place. This is why we always prepare thoroughly when introducing changes—by crafting strong arguments for their necessity, outlining the desired outcomes, and most importantly, providing comprehensive training for those tasked with implementation.
This approach was put to the test in Guadalajara, where we launched a Speeding Pilot Project in collaboration with the Bloomberg Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS) Embedded Team.
As experienced trainers, we understand that implementing changes in any organization can be challenging, particularly in enforcement agencies where established systems are already in place. This is why we always prepare thoroughly when introducing changes—by crafting strong arguments for their necessity, outlining the desired outcomes, and most importantly, providing comprehensive training for those tasked with implementation.
This approach was put to the test in Guadalajara, where we launched a Speeding Pilot Project in collaboration with the Bloomberg Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS) Embedded Team.
As part of this pilot project, GRSP, with the support of the BIGRS in-country Enforcement Coordinator Daniel Velarde, undertook the responsibility of training Mobility and Transportation Directorate agents in professional and efficient speed measurement using mobile speed laser guns. Additionally, we developed and implemented standard operating procedures (SOPs) and designed checkpoints for real-traffic environments. These changes represented a significant shift in the agency’s work organization, as such enforcement methods had not been applied before.
The training programme was divided into three stages: a theoretical component, practical training in a controlled traffic environment, and hands-on practice in real traffic. After completing the initial training, agents continued to refine individual elements of this enforcement method under the supervision of the BIGRS Enforcement Coordinator, ensuring they were thoroughly prepared for the project’s launch.
While change can sometimes be met with resistance, it was immensely rewarding to witness the positive energy, enthusiasm, and readiness of the agents in Guadalajara to embrace these updates to their enforcement practices. The result was a highly successful pilot project, characterized by satisfaction among the implementers and, most importantly, positive feedback from drivers who were stopped for speeding and engaged in meaningful communication with the agents.
Additionally, video material, including drone footage, was recorded during the project for future training purposes. This resource will be invaluable in enhancing the educational efforts moving forward.
In early December 2024, the GRSP Road Policing Capacity Building team, in collaboration with Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS) partners, delivered the Speed Enforcement Forum in the Brazilian cities of Salvador and Recife. Both events were the culmination of the 2024 BIGRS Road Policing Capacity Building Programme in Brazil. The forums were attended by practitioners and leaders from local branches of law enforcement bodies, Transalvador (Salvador), CCTU (Recife Urban Transport and Traffic Authority) agents and leaders from Recife, and representatives of the Federal Police. The aim of the forums was to outline how various countries and jurisdictions implement strategies and conduct effective speed enforcement.
In early December 2024, the GRSP Road Policing Capacity Building team, in collaboration with Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS) partners, delivered the Speed Enforcement Forum in the Brazilian cities of Salvador and Recife. Both events were the culmination of the 2024 BIGRS Road Policing Capacity Building Programme in Brazil. The forums were attended by practitioners and leaders from local branches of law enforcement bodies, Transalvador (Salvador), CCTU (Recife Urban Transport and Traffic Authority) agents and leaders from Recife, and representatives of the Federal Police. The aim of the forums was to outline how various countries and jurisdictions implement strategies and conduct effective speed enforcement.
The forums featured insights from GRSP Road Policing team members who shared road policing experiences from Europe and New Zealand. Robert Susanj spoke about a successful speed enforcement pilot programme he led while serving as head of Slovenia’s Traffic Police. The presentation demonstrated how general deterrence is successfully implemented and how it positively impacts fatality rates.
Artur Zawadzki outlined how an intelligence-led, data-driven approach is applied to speed enforcement in Poland. Artur highlighted how physical and automated speed enforcement complement each other to achieve general deterrence across the network.
Malcolm Lindsay presented an example of speed enforcement in New Zealand, focusing on a high-risk road user group where traditional detection methods were ineffective. The presentation examined a specific operation where surveillance and legislation were used to disrupt illegal street racing.
All GRSP presentations demonstrated how media is used alongside operations and campaigns to generate the deterrence necessary to improve road safety.
The forum generated important discussions between participants and presenters. Conversations generated ideas that explored how the forum’s insights could be tailored to local challenges in each city. The feedback was positive across the board, and participants found the content engaging and insightful.
As part of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS), GRSP, supported by BIGRS local collaborating partners, successfully delivered the first in a series of ongoing capacity building activities in Bengaluru. The inaugural workshops focused on Road Policing Leadership and were delivered to officers from the Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP).
As part of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS), GRSP, supported by BIGRS local collaborating partners, successfully delivered the first in a series of ongoing capacity building activities in Bengaluru. The inaugural workshops focused on Road Policing Leadership and were delivered to officers from the Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP). This training was the first of its type for the Police under the BIGRS. The workshops provided the perfect platform to exchange knowledge and ideas, share experiences and various technical aspects of contemporary enforcement practice, with a particular emphasis on:
Over 100 participants of varying ranks from Sub Inspector, Inspector to Assistant Commissioner took part in the training, with very positive feedback and learnings evidenced through workshop participation surveys across all three days of the training.
These workshops followed an initial Road Safety Enforcement Leadership workshop conducted by GRSP involving Senior Enforcement Officers and Officials from Bengaluru’s Transport Department in September 2024 and during that visit, GRSP also participated in mass media campaign planning discussions hosted by Sri AM Yogesh, of the Karnataka Transport and Road Safety, Transport Department and BIGRS Strategic Communications partner Vital Strategies. Those discussions focused on the roll out of a planned mass media campaign across the state of Karnataka with key messages emphasising the risk associated with speeding and the importance of coordination between police enforcement and the public awareness campaign during the campaign period.
Officers from the Bengaluru Traffic Police trained on Road Policing Leadership at the Traffic Training and Road Safety Institute (TTRSI).
An Officer from Bengaluru Traffic Police receiving his certificate of participation from GRSP Senior Road Policing Advisors Michael Phyland and Peter Jones.
Mass Media Campaign planning meeting hosted by Sri AM Yogesh, Karnataka Transport and Road Safety, Transport Department and BIGRS Strategic Communications partner Vital Strategies, along with local road safety agency stakeholders, Police and GRSP.
Interview starts from minute 09:50 onwards.
