Robert Nowak, Transport Division, UNECE

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United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
2011-2020 Decade of Action for Road Safety
Robert Nowak, Transport Division, UNECE
Railway Safety Education Conference LETS SAVE
LIVES
15 March 2011, Tallinn, Estonia
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United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
A regional - and increasingly global centre for
international legal instruments

• 57 UNECE international conventions and
  agreements
• - Road, rail, inland waterways and combined
  transport
• 5 environmental conventions
• Over 30 UNECE trade facilitation recommendations

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United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
UNECE mission Elaboration, administration and
updating of international legal instruments that
establish harmonized regulations and norms
ensuring a high level of road safety The 1949
Convention on Road Traffic (96) The 1968 Vienna
Conventions on Road Traffic and on Road Signals
(69 and 58 Contracting Parties) The 1998
Agreement on Global Technical Regulations for
Vehicles (31) The 1958 Agreement on Vehicle
Regulations (46) Consolidated Resolutions on Road
traffic (R.E. 1) and on Road Sign and Signals
(R.E. 2) Recommendations on the transport of
dangerous goods The 1971 European Agreement
supplementing the Vienna Conventions (33 and
30) The 1973 Protocol on Road Markings (25) The
1997 Agreement on Periodical Technical
Inspections of Vehicles (11) The European
Agreement on main international Traffic Arteries
(AGR) (37) The European Agreement on the
International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road
(ADR) (46) The European Agreement concerning the
Work of Crews of Vehicles engaged in
International Road Transport (AETR) (49)
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Conclusions Governments accede, ratify,
implement UNECE road safety legal instruments If
road safety rules not followed Governments use
policy tools/measures to change/influence
behaviour
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Conclusions Governments accede, ratify,
implement UNECE road safety legal
instruments Cost/benefit approach rather than
economic efficiency If road safety rules not
followed Governments use policy tools/measures
to change/influence behaviour Effective vs.
ineffective rather than economic efficiency
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• Conclusions
• Governments encouraged and invited
• to implement road safety activities
• to set national casualty targets

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Safety at level crossings
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• Conclusions
• Governments encouraged, urged and invited
• to implement road safety activities
• to set national casualty targets
• to accede/implement UN road safety legal
  instruments
• safety at level crossing an integral part of
  road safety
• AGR (E-road) Agreement contains safety
  provisions

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United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
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United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
On 4 March 2011, the Inland Transport Committee
recommended Working Party on Road Traffic
Safety (WP.1), Working Party on Road Transport
(SC.1) and Working Party on Rail Transport (SC.2)
consider creating a joint Group of Experts of
limited duration to work on enhancing safety at
level crossings
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United Nations Economic Commission for Europe

• Next steps at the UNECE
• WP.1 meets on 21-23 March 2011
• SC.1 meets on 17-19 October 2011
• SC.2 meets on 3-4 November 2011
• Procedure
• Develop EG Terms of Reference
• Seek approval of EXCOM
• UNECE
• international platform to discuss and increase
  road safety, including safety at level crossings

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United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
www.unece.org