The IRU Road Safety Charter - Introduction

• identify scientifically, on an internationally harmonised basis, the major causes of road accidents so as to concentrate the limited resources available on their elimination;
• plan and maintain safe road infrastructure appropriate to current and foreseeable traffic demand by the various categories of user and, in particular, of buses, coaches and trucks thanks to a permanent and preventive dialogue with the IRU national Member Associations;
• enact and enforce harmonised legislation to ensure that:
  • use of the road infrastructure is compatible with the demands both of road safety and of the mobility of persons and goods;
  • all categories of road users are trained to share road space responsibly and safely with one another and that the effect of such training is not lost;
  • passengers and loads are properly secured to prevent accidents occurring and to avoid injury if an accident does occur;
  • appropriate incentives are given to transport operators who apply the IRU Road Safety Charter for Transport Operators, annexed hereto;
  • the rules on access to the profession require that commercial vehicle operators have sufficient competence and adequate financial means to assume their responsibilities for transport and safety;
  • principals in passenger and goods road transport are legally liable for demands they make on transport operators which infringe transport legislation.

• organisations representing other categories of road users,
• road builders,
• manufacturers of vehicles and equipment (including traffic management systems),
• IT and telecom suppliers, as well as
• civil society groups and
• the media

• pursue and intensify its work in favour of road safety through its competent bodies, including the IRU Academy, in cooperation with its Member Associations.
• pursue and further intensify its active contribution to:
  • the launching of a coordinated global initiative to promote road safety by the United Nations Organisation and the World Health Organisation;
  • the promotion, by the World Bank, of road safety in its lending programmes;
  • the road safety work of the UN Economic Commission for Europe and the European Conference of Ministers of Transport;
• the implementation of the European Union's Road Safety Action Plan and Road Safety Charter;
  Ю cooperate, at the international level, with its partners in the private sector and civil society organisations, as mentioned above, to achieve a reduction in traffic accidents involving commercial vehicles.

• pursue and intensify their initiatives and their active contribution to road safety work;
• develop and implement the decisions of the IRU and use its materials according to the Schedule in appendix 2 - unless these are already covered by the Association's own relevant programmes and national legislation - in order to promote a road safety culture amongst their transport operator members.This approach includes the signature by such operators of the IRU Road Safety Charter for transport operators (Appendix 1 - See in "IRU Instruments for the Road Transport Industry and other Users), to be supplemented by voluntary measures at the national level;
• promote training in the road transport industry meeting up to internationally recognised standards, such as those of the IRU Academy;
• pursue and intensify their work in favour of road safety through their competent bodies, in cooperation with the public authorities and other road user groups, where appropriate.

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