New Delhi, February 24 Road crashes are a silent pandemic around the world, and collective efforts are needed to reduce their casualties, said Jean Todt, the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Road Safety, on Tuesday.
Todt also launched a global awareness campaign to improve road safety.
"Road crashes are a silent pandemic around the world, and in India, they continue to take thousands of lives each year, deeply affecting families and communities across the country," Todt said at a press conference here.
"In a nation marked by rapid growth in mobility, working together to address road safety can help reduce the number of victims on the roads," he said.
The envoy's current visit to India comes 11 months after the Marrakesh Declaration, in which UN Member States agreed to accelerate efforts to achieve the Second Decade of Action for Road Safety, with the goal of halving the number of road victims by 2030.
In India, road crashes remain a major public health concern, claiming an estimated over 1.5 lakh lives annually, with a death rate of 15.4 per 1 lakh. Pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists are particularly vulnerable, accounting for a significant portion of fatalities.
Todt launched the UN-JCDecaux Global Campaign for Road Safety, the #MakeASafetyStatement, which features celebrities promoting everyday measures to improve road safety.
Under the campaign, digital billboards and posters featuring the statements will be visible in New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Bangalore, to highlight the importance of having leaders from different fields support road safety. The campaign will also be shared on social media.
Indian cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar released a video endorsing the campaign, as he joined the group of celebrities and sporting champions designated as Global Champions for Road Safety.
The #MakeASafetyStatement campaign aims to promote road safety, reduce risk factors, and create safe, inclusive, and sustainable streets worldwide. It is a call to action, amplifying the message of the New Decade of Action for Road Safety, aiming to halve the number of road-related victims by 2030.
The campaign's messages focus on mitigating the risk factors on the road. Key aspects include wearing a seat belt, driving slowly, wearing a helmet, not texting and driving, not driving under the influence, not driving tired, respecting cyclists, and respecting pedestrians.
The launch of the campaign was announced in 2022. By the end of 2026, the campaign will have been displayed in 80 countries and 1,000 cities thanks to the global partnership between the UN and JCDecaux.
It has already been deployed in more than 50 countries, including Belgium, the US, Japan, Nigeria, Mexico, and the United Arab Emirates, on JCDecaux’s public displays, located in public spaces, airports, train stations, metros, and shopping centres.