| Fleet Safety Project |
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More than 1 million people around the world are killed every year in road traffic accidents, with an additional 20-50 million injured or permanently disabled. This is equivalent to approximately 3,000 deaths every day. Although accounting for only 40% of the world's vehicle fleet, more than 80% of the fatalities, including 96% of all children killed in road traffic accidents, occur in low income countries. The total cost of road crashes and resultant deaths and injuries in developing societies amounts to US$65 billion - more than the annual development assistance that these countries receive. Africa is the region with the worst death rate, 28 fatalities per 100,000 people. In a continent where 50% of the population is below the age of 16 years, road crashes place a heavy burden on its younger members and breadwinners. This burden tips many households into poverty. Moreover, projections show that between the years 2000 and 2020, road traffic deaths will decline by about 30% in high income countries, but increase dramatically in low and middle income societies. By 2020, road traffic injuries are expected to be the third leading contributor to the global problem of disease and injury. Road safety is clearly a development issue. But also a real concern faced by members of the humanitarian community, as the most dangerous activity faced by field workers today is usually travelling in a vehicle. Although little hard data is currently available, numbers do indicate that vehicle-related accidents contribute substantially to the risks faced by aid workers in the field. Ongoing research on the issue suggests that more than 25% of all deaths suffered by aid workers are a result of accidental causes, of which the vast majority are vehicle-related. And yet, the Fleet Forum's own research confirms that road safety awareness and training within the international humanitarian community are typically not priorities. To address this vital need, the Fleet Forum is developing a comprehensive road safety training toolkit and other communications material targeted specifically at aid and development organisations. This toolkit will be piloted in Kenya with a number of UN agencies, international NGOs and the Red Cross. For more information on road safety issues and initiatives:
http://www.grsproadsafety.org/
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