GRSF Spring Newsletter: Annual Report, events, and more
May 12, 2023
Highlight ⌵︎
Launch of the GRSF 2022 Annual Report
The GRSF 2022 Annual Report was recently published, showcasing GRSF’s key achievements in the 2022 fiscal year (“FY22”), which ran from July 2021 to June 2022. In FY22, GRSF funded the assessment of approximately 1,800 km of roads, trained over 3,000 professionals, and published 31 articles and reports. With 20 new grants approved totaling $2.8 million, the active GRSF portfolio in FY22 increased to $14.1 million spanning 72 activities and covering 34 countries and several global initiatives.
GRSF also continued to boost road safety development financing through its role in informing and catalyzing World Bank investments. In FY22, GRSF reached new heights by catalyzing $949 million of new road safety financing approved by the World Bank. In addition, a total of US$5.55 billion of newly approved transport investments by the World Bank—spanning 21 projects and 20 countries—were informed by GRSF with respect to road safety. These investments will save thousands of lives and prevent countless injuries in the years to come.
Read the 2022 Annual Report for more details on the many ways GRSF made a positive contribution to road safety in FY22.
VIEW / DOWNLOAD THE ANNUAL REPORT
Events ⌵︎
Webinar on Establishing Crash Database Systems
It is estimated that 80% of road crash deaths are missing from official statistics in low-income countries, which limits their capacity to monitor road safety trends, provide effective road safety governance, and advocate for improvements.
To help bridge this data gap, GRSF hosted a webinar in February 2023 titled Country Experiences in Establishing Modern Crash Database Systems. Featuring speakers from the Philippines, Georgia, India, and Colombia, the webinar showcased country experiences and highlighted the inter-governmental effort required to develop adequate crash database systems and ensure their effective use by all road safety stakeholders.
GRSF Puts Road Safety on the Agenda at Transforming Transportation 2023
The 20th anniversary edition of the Transforming Transportation conference was held at the World Bank Headquarters in Washington, D.C. in March 2023. GRSF was actively engaged in the event in a variety of ways, ensuring that road safety was high on the agenda.
GRSF hosted two sessions. The first, a panel discussion co-organized with the World Resources Institute, focused on the link between improving road safety and addressing climate change, and encouraged conference participants to explore opportunities for collaboration. The second, a side event co-hosted with the Inter-American Development Bank and the International Transport Forum, explored the direct impact of road safety investments on reducing transport sector emissions.
To directly engage with the approximately 1,000 in-person attendees, GRSF set up a road safety knowledge booth, which provided participants the opportunity to learn about evidence-based interventions to address the road safety crisis. In addition, Said Dahdah, the Head of GRSF, was interviewed by CNBC Africa, the media partner of Transforming Transportation 2023, to discuss the challenges and opportunities for improving road safety in Africa.
Country Engagements ⌵︎
Furthering Road Safety Collaboration in Ghana
During a trip to Ghana in November 2022, GRSF met with key road agencies to present the findings of GRSF assessments aimed at enhancing safety on trunk and feeder roads and around school zones. Following the discussions, both the Ghana Highway Authority and the Department of Feeder Roads agreed to implement GRSF's recommended safety measures.
GRSF also visited Ghana’s National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) and Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority during this visit and a follow-up visit in January 2023 to discuss further collaboration opportunities around institutional strengthening and road safety management. An NRSA capacity assessment, financed by the World Bank, is helping the authority shape their priorities in the coming years, and will form the basis of continued World Bank and GRSF collaboration with NRSA.
Building Road Safety Engagement in Colombia
In November 2022, GRSF participated in a series of road safety events and workshops in Bogota, Colombia as part of the country’s national road safety stakeholder meeting. One of the key events was a speed management workshop hosted by Colombia’s National Road Safety Agency (ANSV), where Colombia’s new speed management strategy and methodology for setting speed limits was presented and discussed. ANSV intends to roll out this strategy and methodology—developed by ANSV and to which GRSF provided recommendations—to Colombian provinces and municipalities, and requested GRSF support for the plan's implementation.
GRSF also met with ANSV senior management to discuss ongoing and future areas of road safety collaboration. At the meeting, ANSV requested GRSF technical assistance for road safety enforcement, data management, research, and data analytics.
Partnerships ⌵︎
Sharing Evidence on Improving Safety for Motorcyclists
The Asia Pacific Road Safety Observatory and the Ibero-American Road Safety Observatory, with support from GRSF and other partners, co-hosted a Dialogue on Powered Two-Wheeler Safety in Manila, Philippines, in October 2022. The event brought together over 100 global experts and practitioners addressing deaths and injuries resulting from motorcycle crashes, and focused on countries where powered two-wheelers (motorcycles) are the dominant mode of transport. At the event, GRSF presented a case study from a World Bank road connectivity project in Vietnam, highlighting the importance of adopting a Safe System approach and demonstrating how safety can be improved for motorcyclists and other vulnerable road users through safety-oriented road design including dedicated motorcycle lanes and speed calming measures.
Contributing to the Dakar Regional Road Safety Congress
GRSF contributed a technical presentation on road safety data and investments to the Dakar Regional Road Safety Congress, which was held in Senegal in March 2023. Organized by the National Road Safety Council of Senegal and the World Health Organization, the conference brought together experts and stakeholders to discuss ways to improve the collection and analysis of road mortality data to better inform road safety policies and interventions.
Research ⌵︎
Presenting Pedestrian Safety Research at TRB
GRSF presented a paper titled Identification of Factors Affecting Pedestrian Signal Violation Behavior at Urban Signalized Intersections in a Developing Country during a session on pedestrian safety at the 102nd Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board (TRB). The TRB Annual Meeting, which was held in Washington, D.C. in January 2023, focuses on developing innovative solutions for all modes of transportation and is the world’s largest annual gathering of transport professionals and researchers.
Speed Management Hub Updates ⌵︎
New Animated Video on Traffic Calming Measures
Traffic calming measures such as speed bumps, chicanes, and roundabouts are an essential tool for improving road safety, as they can have a significant impact on reducing crashes and fatalities on our roads. By slowing down traffic and creating safer spaces for pedestrians and cyclists, traffic calming measures not only improve road safety, they also make our communities more livable.
Check out our latest video animation to learn more about how traffic calming solutions can be applied in different settings, such as in urban, suburban, and rural areas.
New Speed Management FAQs
Visit GRSF's Speed Management Hub to view the latest frequently asked questions (FAQs) related to speed management. New questions are uploaded regularly. Some samples of new FAQs are below:
Do motorcyclists speed more than car drivers?
Is there a gender dimension in speeding?
What speed management measures can be applied for electric scooters (e-scooters)?
Upon passing the speed camera, motorists tend to speed up above the speed limit. What is the best way of solving this problem?
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