Road Safety Activities (International)
ADB-ASEAN Road Safety Program
1. Worldwide, an estimated 1.2 million people are killed in road crashes every year and over 23 million are injured. Over 85% of world's fatalities on the roads occur in low income and middle income countries, which have only 48% of the world's vehicles. In Asia-Pacific region, although the motor vehicle ownership only accounts for 16% of the world's vehicles, 44% of world fatalities caused by traffic accidents occurs in this region.
2. As an outcome of economic growth, motorization is rapid within ASEAN which is accompanied by increasing number of traffic accidents.
3. Road Safety is not only heath problem but also socio-economic problem which needs to be tackled in a comprehensive and coordinated manner.
4. The Fourth ASEAN Transport Ministers Meeting which was held on September,1998 in Singapore agreeded that it was necessary to promote road safety activities within ASEAN. In order to be one of the items on the agenda of ASEAN Meetings, Road Safety Sector was included in Successor Plan of Action in Transport (1999-2004).
5. The sixth ASEAN Land Transport Working Group Meeting which was held on (5-6) August, 2002 in Vietnam noted the necessary of technical assistance for reducing number of traffic accidents within ASEAN, and ASEAN Secretariat, therefore, requested Asian Development Bank (ADB) for this ASEAN Road Safety Program within ASEAN was initiated with the support of ADB and a mission of fact finding for Road Safety, according to the Program, visited Myanmar in (4-5) November, 2002. During their visit, the mission met and discussed with key bodies for road safety, governmental organizations and non-governmental organizations.
6. Then, Myanmar National Seminar and Action Plan Preparation Workshop was held on (15-19) March 2004. After that occasion, Myanmar National Road Safety Action Plan (2003-2005) was drafted.
7. The draft Myanmar Road Safety Action Plan is modelled on successful National and Local plans in operation in many other countries. It was produced as part of the ADB/ASEAN Regional Road Safety Program and follows Action Plan Guidelines published by the UN, ADB and World Bank. In implementing the draft Action Plan, it requires a partnership approach which enables different government ministries, and departments to work together and with the private sector and civil society.
8. The government of Myanmar is losing huge economic and social costs over kyat 44 million (3% of annual GDP) being incurred from the numbers of Myanmar nationals killed, crippled or injured in road accidents every year. The urgency of the problem needs to be recognized so that adequate resources can be allocated to address this problem facing the country. The situation is not subtainable and improvements need to be implemented to achieve safety benefits. It must also be understood that reducing road crash rates will not be easy in a traffic environment with a high traffic growth, with high number of less protected vehicles such as motorcycles (71%).
9. Taking the current situation into account, the aim of the action plan (2003-2005) is to halve the present annual increase in deaths (around 6.4% per year) to 3.2 % per year over the next five years.
The key targets for the 5 year Action Plan are as follows:
(a) Save more than 940 lives over the five year period by halving the anticipated increase in deaths per year
(b) Reduce the death rate (death per ten thousand vehicles) by 25% from 27 deaths/10000 vehicles in 2003 down to 20 deaths/10000 vehicles in 2008
(c) 90% wearing of motorcycle helmets nationwide
(d) 70% wearing of seatbelts nationwide
10. The actions of National Road Safety Action Plans are organized into 15 sectors which identify sets of measures in various sectors and comprehensive approaches. These 15 sectors are as follows:
(a) Coordination and Management of Road Safety
(b) Road Accident Data System
(c) Road Safety Funding
(d) Safe Planning and Design of Roads
(e) Improvement of Hagardous Locations
(f) Safety Education for Children
(g) Driver Training and Testing
(h) Road Safety Publicity and Campaign
(i) Vehicle Safety Standards / Road Worthiness
(j) Traffic Legislation
(k) Traffic Police and Law Enforcement
(l) Emergency Assistance to Road Accident Victims
(m) Road Safety Research
(n) Road Accident Costing
(o) Cooperation and Collaboration
11. Workshop for Preparation of ASEAN Regional Road Safety was held on (19-21) May, 2004 in Malaysia for developing regional road safety strategy and action plan basing on national action plan of ASEAN Member States. After the Workshop, ASEAN Regional Road Safety Strategy and Action Plan (2005-2010) was produced.
12. At the 25th ASEAN Transport Ministers Meeting which was held on (27-29) May 2008, Philippines proposed to establish ASEAN Multi-Sectoral Road Safety Working Group. The scope of application of ASEAN Multi-sectoral Road Safety Working Group is as follows:
(a) coordinate and oversee the implementation of the ASEAN Road Safety Action Plan
(b) monitor and evaluate the implementation of the Road Safety Action Plan and national road safety plans
(c) seek international support and technical assistance in the development and implementation of regional programs, projects and activities
13. The proposal of Philippine to establish ASEAN Multi- Sectoral Road Safety Working Group was agreeded at the 14th ASEAN Land Transport Working Group Meeting which was held on (20-21)August 2008.
14. At present, Myanmar National Road safety Action Plan (2010-2020) has been already drafted and submitted to the President's office for the approval. After getting approval, Myanmar will send her Action Plan to ASEAN Secretariat like other ASEAN Member States for compilation in order to formulate Regional Road Safety strategy and Action Plan (2010-2020).