The global reference tool for developing effective and robust road safety policies – the SafeFITS Model – was launched today at the UN, with IRU delivering keynote presentation.
Safety was high up on the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe’s Inland Transport Committee agenda, as Special Envoy for Road Safety, Jean Todt, and Executive Secretary of the UNECE, Olga Algayerova were joined by IRU’s Secretary General, Umberto de Pretto, to reinforce the tool’s capacity to become the global reference for developing effective and robust road safety policies.
Now being rolled out for worldwide use, SafeFITS is a tool to support knowledge-based transport policy decision making to reduce the number of road casualties. It was developed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), with support from IRU.
“The collaborative work of the international, national and local experts is the guarantee that SafeFITS is one of the most comprehensive tools on the subject. The next step is to use this knowledge to implement cost-effective, robust and targeted policies to reduce the number of road accidents – most of which result from human error,” said Umberto de Pretto.
The tool aims to support governments and decision makers to assess the results of policies and measures designed to improve road safety.
Jean Todt, United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Road Safety praised the potential of SafeFITS. “SafeFITS provides a tool to help Member States review their current road safety situation and priorities, assisting them to determine the most appropriate and beneficial policy options for their national context, under the framework of the Decade of Action for Road Safety.”
“Today’s SafeFITS launch is a tangible contribution to our road safety efforts. This ground-breaking tool is the result of open and inclusive cooperation between policy-makers, academics, NGOs and the road safety community, under the leadership of UNECE, building on our record in developing decision-making policy tools and our unique role in advancing road safety”, added Olga Algayerova.
SafeFITS was developed through a global consultation with road safety experts, including international organisations, academia and international financial institutions. They helped refine the tool to ensure it provides the most relevant road safety statistics, modelling and measurements of the impact of road safety policies.
