As the UN Decade of Action – started in 2010 has concluded – where are we heading next for efforts to reduce those being killed or fatally injured on road networks across the world?
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Transcript available (use captions facility on YouTube): 
Road safety is an urgent health and development matter. The number of deaths on the world’s roads remains unacceptably high, with an estimated 1.35 million people killed each year. In addition, as many as 50 million people are injured. Road traffic crashes are the eighth leading cause of death globally for people of all ages, and the leading cause of death for children and young adults aged 5–29 years. Road traffic deaths and injuries shatter lives and throw families into poverty. On average, they cost countries 3% of their GDP.
To explore this question, CIHT is joined by Matts Belin.
Dr. Matts-Åke Belin has over 30 years of experience within the Swedish government primarily worked with overall safety policies, strategies and collaboration with different stakeholders. In 2007 – 2009 Dr. Belin worked for World Health Organization in Geneva where he participated in the development of global road safety strategies and global partnerships.
Dr. Belin has also chaired the technical committee 3.1 on National Road Safety Policies and Programme, World Road Association and served as the international representative at the US Transportation Research Board (TRB) standing committee ANB 10 Transportation Safety Management. Dr. Belin is also the Swedish delegate in UN Road Safety Collaboration and he has served as national and international senior policy adviser and supported different Vision Zero initiatives around the world. Dr. Belin was also deeply involved in the preparation and organization of 3rd Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety in Stockholm February 2020. Currently, Dr. Belin is Director of Vision Zero Academy at the Swedish Transport Administration.
Parallel with his work within the Swedish government, Dr. Belin also has an academic carrier. Dr. Belin has a PhD in public health policy from Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. He is also affiliated with KTH Royal Technology Institute, in Stockholm, where he is serving as an adjunct professor on traffic safety. Dr. Belin is also responsible for a research program funded by the Swedish Transport Administration, in order to promote research in policy, implementation and innovation within the transport sector with focus on Vision Zero.
In the interview Matts said:
We have all kinds of people using our transport system…and we have to accommodate that people will make mistakes and people are fragile - we have a certain tolerance against kinetic energy - and when we design road transport system that needs to be at the base for how we design our road transport system.
From a safety point of view we don't have to wait for a self driving car...that's not the thing that will make different from a safety point of view.
We will be able to take advantage of all the things that have already happened from a safety point of views [that are being developed for self-driving vehicles] things like: automatic brake systems, lane departure systems, intelligence speed adaptation systems - they will contribute to safety, so we don't have to wait for the self driving
Join other savvy professionals just like you at CIHT. We are committed to fulfilling your professional development needs throughout your career
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