The International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA) launched the first Global Road Safety Week - which runs until 28 June - with an emphasis on "little choices" which can make a difference.
"One road death is one too many when distraction, speeding and impaired driving can be eliminated through the little choices we make," said IBTTA CEO and executive director Pat Jones.
The week is designed to promote safe driving behaviours on toll roads and reduce vehicle crashes worldwide.
"During Global Road Safety Week, we are proud to launch Be Safe Together and highlight how tolling organisations around the world are implementing safe system approaches to dramatically reduce crashes and fatalities while encouraging drivers to slow down, focus on the road, and make the road safer for everyone," Jones added.
The campaign is supported by the US Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). European Association of Tolled Motorway, Bridge and Tunnel Concessionaires (Asecap), International Road Federation (IRF Geneva), World Road Association (Piarc), Project Edward (Every Day Without A Road Death) and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (Madd).
Success stories are a key part of the campaign: for example, road operator Asfinag in Austria reduced fatalities by 50% from 2010-20 through its safe system strategy, while the Attica Tollway in Greece features rapid response from safety patrols averaging six minutes, and Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission has seen a decline of more than 30% in workzone crashes.
"At FHWA, safety is our top priority and our goal is to have zero deaths and zero serious injuries on the nation's roads, whether they are publicly funded or privately owned," said Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt. "Our work is only one part of the solution and with the safety commitments from partners in the tolling industry, we are one step closer towards a safer future for all road users."
"I am proud of the progress we are making to create a safer environment on the roads across the globe," said IBTTA president Bill Halkias. "I am very happy for this global reach, especially when I see that my past tenure as president of Asecap, IRF and Hellastron contributed to bringing together all of these associations, resulting in today's global alliance."
"Real change in road safety cannot and will not happen without global participation and cooperation. IBTTA's Global Road Safety Week aims to build that bridge worldwide."
"Countless lives have been tragically cut short due to reckless behaviour on our nation's roads," said Stacey D. Stewart, CEO of Mothers Against Drunk Driving. "Impaired driving fatalities are on the rise, up 33% since 2019. This deadly public health crisis demands a transformative solution."
Learn more about Be Safe Together at www.besafetogether.org
