UN chief calls for more gov't efforts to make roads safe for all

UN chief Ban Ki-moon on Sunday called on governments to take strengthened steps to "tighten enforcement of laws" in a bid to ensure better road safety against the backdrop that road traffic accidents kill an estimated 1.25 million people each year.

The UN secretary-general made the appeal in a message delivered for the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. The World Day is "a time to reflect on the needless tragedies that occur each day on the world's roads," Ban said.

"I call on governments to tighten enforcement of laws on speeding, drinking and driving, and to mandate and enforce the use of seat-belts, motorcycle helmets and child restraints -- all of which have been shown to save lives," he said.

The World Day is intended to remember the many millions killed and injured on the world's roads, together with their families, friends and many others who are also affected.

It is also a day on which people thank the emergency services and reflect on the tremendous burden and cost of this daily continuing disaster to families, communities and countries, and on ways to halt it.

"Despite improvements in road safety, we still face some shocking injury and fatality figures," the UN chief said.

Road traffic accidents kill an estimated 1.25 million people each year -- 90 percent of them in middle- and low-income countries, Ban noted.

"Such accidents are the leading cause of death among young people aged between 15 and 29," the secretary-general said. "Almost half of all road traffic deaths are among pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists."

The Second Global High-Level Conference on Road Safety is scheduled for Nov. 18-19 in Brasilia, Brazil.

Some 1,500 delegates from more than 100 countries are expected to meet to find ways to halve road traffic deaths and injuries by 2020 -- the target set forth in the new Sustainable Development Goals agreed by UN member states in September.

"On this solemn day, let us re-commit to making our roads safe for all," Ban said.

Road deaths and injuries are sudden, violent, traumatic events, whose impact is long-lasting, often permanent.

Each year, millions of newly injured and bereaved people from every corner of the world are added to the countless millions who already suffer. The cumulative toll is truly tremendous.

The World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims is commemorated on the third Sunday of November each year. It falls on Nov. 15 this year. Enditem