Mexico to Work with UN in Road Safety Plan

Mexico’s Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transport (SICT) announced it will work with the UN on the implementation of its “A Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030” global plan, which aims to reduce road traffic deaths and injuries.

“Globally, road traffic crashes cause nearly 1.3 million preventable deaths and an estimated 50 million injuries each year–making it the leading killer of children and young people worldwide. As things stand, they are set to cause a further estimated 13 million deaths and 500 million injuries during the next decade and hinder sustainable development, particularly in low and middle-income countries,” reads the UN report.

In Mexico, road accidents are the first cause of death among those between 15 and 29 years old, especially due to the use of cell phones when driving. To address this matter, the UN suggests the implementation of multi-modal transport and land-use planning, safe road infrastructure, safe vehicles, safe road use, post-crash response and legal frameworks to reduce road traffic deaths and injuries by at least 50 percent between 2021 and 2030.

In Mexico, 71 percent of the causes of traffic accidents are attributable to the driver, reported SICT via a press release. These include recklessness or lack of attention, use of cell phones, excessive speed, not using the seat belt, invasion of the opposite lane and not respecting the adequate distance between vehicles on highways, according to the Mexican Institute of Transportation (IMT).

SICT is currently implementing various actions to improve road safety on the country's roads. These include the design of preventive safety programs, reinforcement of signaling plans and security devices on these roads and information campaigns. The SICT continues to promote efforts with other public and private institutions to magnify awareness of the issue among society.

However, safe driving practices are not just a responsibility of governments and the public sector, private corporations also play a role: “additionally, corporations and private businesses must also address and mitigate actions that negatively impact road safety, including the promotion of cars based on the speed they can achieve; the promotion of high consumption of alcohol or other products that can contribute to impaired driving; and employment policies that can contribute to overcrowded public transport or driver fatigue,” reads the report.