WASHINGTON, D.C. – With traffic-related deaths and injuries reaching epidemic proportions worldwide, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) stands in support the United Nation’s Decade for Action for Road Safety campaign to increase the public’s awareness of this problem and urges all stakeholders to take action to save lives and prevent deaths and injuries.
Nearly 1.3 million people worldwide die as a result of road traffic collisions every year, making road traffic injuries the tenth leading cause of death globally. That number is projected to increase to 1.9 million by the year 2020. The Decade of Action for Road Safety has a goal of stabilizing and then reducing the level of worldwide road fatalities by bringing more attention to safety at regional, national, and global levels.
“CVSA shares the U.N.’s concern that road traffic deaths and injuries have reached epidemic proportions and need to be addressed urgently by all people who use public roads,” said Stephen A. Keppler, CVSA’s executive director. “CVSA and its partners work tirelessly to prevent large truck and bus-related crashes. And while the commercial vehicle industry has made significant progress, clearly much more can be done to see that not one additional life is put at risk. We appreciate the U.N. and World Health Organization for raising the global awareness of this issue.”
The Decade of Action will launch on May 11, with ceremonies held throughout the world, including New York City and Washington, D.C.
CVSA is an international not-for-profit organization comprised of local, state, provincial, territorial and federal motor carrier safety officials and industry representatives from the United States, Canada and Mexico. Our mission is to promote commercial motor vehicle safety and security by providing leadership to enforcement, industry and policy makers. In addition, CVSA has several hundred associate members who are committed to helping the Alliance achieve its goals; uniformity, compatibility and reciprocity of commercial vehicle inspections, and enforcement activities throughout North America by individuals dedicated to highway safety and security. For more on CVSA visit www.cvsa.org.
