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IFP advocating for the pedestrians
World Forum for Road Traffic Safety: IFP advocating for a better consideration of the pedestrians
The International Federation of Pedestrians participated in collaboration with Pedestrian Mobility Switzerland to the UNECE Global Forum on Road Traffic Safety that was held from the 19th to the 23rd of September 2022. The Global Forum for Road Traffic Safety is the permanent body in the United Nations system that focuses on improving road safety. Its primary role is to serve as guardian of the United Nations legal instruments aimed at harmonizing traffic rules and to offer a platform to address the evolution of the road traffic (vehicles, road-users behaviour, infrastructures,) to contribute and improve road safety.
Among the topics of relevance for the pedestrians, discussed during the 85th edition of the Forum, we can mention the development of vehicles automation. Besides the safety of those vehicle itself, the automation of driving tasks has many impacts, including on driver vigilance, liability issues and driving behaviour. It is important the raise the concern of the cognitive burden it may have on the pedestrians.
Another relevant topic was the personal mobility devices. These vehicles obviously raise road safety issues, including for pedestrians. Indeed, their potential use, especially on pavements, puts pedestrians at risk, reduces their sense of safety and affects their perception of public spaces.
Other topics, such as road safety in Low- and Middle-Income countries, Sustainable Development Goals and impaired driving were also discussed by the participants.
The International Federation of Pedestrians, from which Pedestrian mobility Switzerland is a member, has contributed to making the participants aware of the rights and the needs of the pedestrians and advocated for a better consideration of the pedestrians in the establishment of new regulations addressing the issues mentioned above.
The Global Forum on Road Traffic Safety documents are available here: (WP.1) Global Forum for Road Traffic Safety (85th session) | UNECE.
