TOGETHER FOR SAFER ROADS RELEASES NEW REPORT ON TECHNOLOGIES TO ADDRESS ROAD SAFETY CHALLENGES

Global private sector companies share guidelines for keeping employees safe on the world’s roads through innovation this World Day for Safety and Health at Work

April 24, 2017

Washington, D.C. – In conjunction with World Day for Safety and Health at Work on April 28, Together for Safer Roads (TSR), a coalition of global private sector companies, released the Guidelines for Using Technology to Address Road Safety Challenges report. The report, the second in its Advancing Road Safety Best Practices for Companies and Their Fleets series, outlines how to effectively apply safety technologies, like connected vehicles and infrastructure, autonomous vehicles and features, sensors and telematics, and consumer electronics, to fleet operations in order to pave the way to a golden era of road safety.

Globally, between 25 and 33 percent of road crashes are work-related and 36 percent of occupational deaths are due to crashes.¹ As of 2014, there were more than 329 million commercial vehicles on the world’s roads.² TSR believes that companies have the responsibility for considering the welfare of their employees, as well as the potential dangers business fleets may pose.

“Fleet drivers crashing at a higher rate than privately registered vehicles demand an urgent and collective response from the business community,” said Greg Martin, chief operating officer and executive director of TSR.

The report is a practical guide that provides companies of all sizes a step-by-step approach to understand and execute the types of technologies available to improve safety. TSR member companies, who have implemented and analyzed these technologies, have contributed their expertise to identify best practices to help other companies develop and manage successful transportation programs.

“Technology solutions can help minimize risks and improve road safety. Although, only if they are assessed and monitored before and during implementation, and those employing them are trained on a recurring basis,” Martin said.

The coalition is also honoring World Day for Safety and Health at Work by educating its employees, contractors, and partners on how to be safer road users. Member companies are participating in various activities, including town hall meetings, safety trainings, and community events, where participants can pledge to be responsible road users.

“People are a company’s greatest asset, and the private sector must create a culture of safety for them,” Martin said. “The private sector is known for its innovative spirit, creative thinking, and nimbleness in approaching challenges. Every company has a responsibility to bring this philosophy to road safety.”

This is the third year TSR and its members have recognized World Day for Safety and Health at Work. In 2016, TSR’s efforts engaged more than 1 million people across 45 countries on the importance of road safety.

About Together for Safer Roads

Together for Safer Roads (TSR) is an innovative coalition that brings together global private sector companies, across industries, to collaborate on improving road safety and reducing deaths and injuries from road traffic crashes globally. TSR brings together members’ knowledge, data, technology, and global networks to focus on five areas that will make the greatest impact globally and within local communities. These focus areas align with the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety’s Five Pillars by developing programs to address issues in road safety management, safer roads and mobility, safer vehicles, safer road users, and post-crash response. TSR’s current members include AB InBev, Abertis, AIG, AT&T, Ericsson, Facebook, GM, IBM, iHeartMedia, Octo Telematics, PepsiCo, Republic Services, Ryder, UPS, and Walmart. Learn more at www.togetherforsaferroads.org. Connect with us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube.

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¹World Health Organization. (2013). “Global Status Report on Road Safety 2013: Supporting a Decade of Action.” Retrieved from http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/road_safety_status/2013/en.

²Statista: The Statistics Portal. “Number of passenger cars and commercial vehicles in use worldwide from 2006 to 2014.” Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/statistics/281134/number-of-vehicles-in-use-worldwide/.