The NGO “Ukrainian Road Safety Association” (URSA) chaired by Mikhail Berlin, one of the numerous ILCAD partners, invited UIC and level crossings specialists to present safety at level crossings in a dedicated session at the PRI International conference that took place from 19 – 21 June in Kiev, Ukraine.
160 people and 62 speakers from 20 countries around the world from the road and rail sectors, international institutions (EC, UNECE), NGOs, ministries of health, of infrastructure, of internal affairs, City of Kiev, medical and emergency services, Red Cross, police forces, academics, car industry, insurance companies, rally- cyclists and pedestrians associations, education specialists and the media, participated in the 50th edition of the International Conference of PRI (Prévention Routière Internationale) that took place from 19 to 21 June 2013 in Kiev, Ukraine. It was co-organised by Joop Goos, President of PRI and Mikhail Berlin, President of the NGO “Ukrainian Road Safety Association” (URSA) under the auspices of the Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine, Mr Kostyantyn Gryshchenko.
The aim of the Conference was to draw public attention to the need of ensuring safety for pedestrians and cyclists as one of the most vulnerable road user groups; to start active work on implementation of measures for their protection, as well as to promote the objectives of the Decade of Action for Road Safety, declared by the United Nations for 2011-2020.
Walking and cycling are modes of transportation which are healthy, green and space saving. Promoting walking and cycling means that special attention must be given to road safety for these groups of vulnerable road users. There are 1.24 million deaths worldwide from road traffic crashes. Pedestrians and cyclists constitute 27% of all road deaths. In some countries this figure is higher than 75%. Road safety is a major public health issue but not a fatality!”: said Joop Goos, PRI President.
The PRI conference was organised for the first time in an Eastern country and also dedicated a special session for the very first time to road users’ and pedestrians’ safety at level crossings which offered the opportunity to participants and speakers from Ukraine, Russia, Estonia, Slovakia ... and from UIC (namely Isabelle Fonverne) to exchange on best practices on safety at the road/rail interface. The session was chaired by Mr Yurii Herzhod, Director of the Security/Safety Department of the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine.
This conference contributed to the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020 and took place in the framework of the 2nd UN Global Road Safety Week held from 6 to 12 May worldwide. Rebecca Huang, UNECE Economics Affairs Officer, Geneva made a presentation on UNECE works and activities on road transport and road safety, the “Convention on road traffic” the “Convention on road signs and signals” and all other conventions and agreements applying worldwide. She also informed participants on the events hosted by UNECE in Geneva during the 2nd Global UN Road Safety Week from 6 to 12 May, and the ILCAD events (press conference, round table with safety experts, the exhibition) held on 7 May 2013.
Mrs Zoia Krasnodemskaya, Head of the Press Centre of the Ukrainian Road Safety Association submitted the Kiev Declaration on road safety to the participants and invited the UN General Assembly to express the support and compliance with the provisions of this Declaration:
http://www.pri.kiev.ua/images/documents/Kyiv_Declaration_eng.pdf
For more info on ILCAD events at UNECE in Geneva, visit
http://www.unece.org/trans/roadsafe/2nd_grs_week/programme.html
To find conclusions of ILCAD events at UNECE in Geneva, visit
http://www.ilcad.org/Press-Media,206.html
The 6th edition of ILCAD should take place in early June 2014, a questionnaire will be sent out soon to all ILCAD partners. New partners are most welcome. A debriefing meeting on ILCAD 2013 and a preparation session for ILCAD 2014 are foreseen on 3 – 4 October 2013 in Warsaw. Save the dates!
For further information please contact Isabelle Fonverne: fonverne@uic.org
And visit www.ilcad.org
