The Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI) Road Safety program works with civil society organizations and governments across the globe to reduce death and injury related to road crashes. Together, we advance policies in support of five priority behavioral risk factors to enhance road safety — child restraints, drink driving, helmets, seat belts and speed — in addition to pressing for higher vehicle safety standards.
Using an evidence-based approach, we provide critical advocacy and communications support to civil society organizations and governments. Our activities include:
Development of advocacy campaigns, including landscape analysis, political mapping, and monitoring and evaluation.
Media advocacy, digital and traditional communications campaign planning and implementation.
Technical assistance in coalition-building and partnerships, grassroots mobilization, engaging political leaders, monitoring policy implementation and building public support.
Legal analysis and drafting to support local lawmakers in developing laws that meet international standards.
Strategies to counter industry influence in policy change and protect enacted policy frameworks.
GHAI’s Road Safety Program is funded through the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety 2020-2025 (BIGRS). BIGRS aims to reduce road crash fatalities and injuries in low and middle-income countries and cities by implementing a comprehensive set of actions that are proven to save lives. Since 2014, with the support of BIGRS, GHAI has delivered its expertise in advancing road safety policies to 15 countries.
1.19 million people lose their lives on the road every year.
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90% of road deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.
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Road traffic injuries are the leading killer of people ages 5-29.
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More than half of fatalities occur among pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.
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Our Impact
2019
The Philippines’ first child restraint bill for motor vehicles was signed into law in 2019, following a locally-led advocacy campaign.
2022
Road safety advocates in Mexico mobilized to pass the General Law on Mobility and Road Safety in 2022, which reflects WHO best practices on the five priority behavioral risk factors.
2023
The Ministry of Works and Transport in Uganda adopted road safety regulations in 2023 on child restraints, drink driving, helmets and seat belt use with support from the Road Safety Advocacy Coalition.
The government of Bangladesh approved the Road Transport Rules 2022 containing provisions on setting speed limits for different types of roads, mandatory helmet wearing for drivers and riders, seat belt fastening for drivers and passengers and banning drink driving. The Government also revised and notified the helmet standards following community driven advocacy efforts.
In February 2023, Colombia approved a law to join the World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations, the first Latin American country to take this step. A few months earlier, legislation requiring 50Km/h speed limits in urban zones and 90km/h on highways passed into law as a result of numerous advocacy campaigns led by the Colombian road safety coalition.
GHAI advances policy change that saves lives on the road, including five leading behavioral risk factors:
The General Law on Mobility and Road Safety marked a major step forward in the country’s efforts to reduce road traffic deaths by creating the legal framework necessary to advance road safety laws at the national, state and municipal levels, while also raising minimum vehicle safety standards.
In the Philippines, local civil society organizations identified the pressing need for a law mandating the use of car seats to protect children involved in road crashes. Car seats can reduce the risk of death in a crash by up to 80 percent for small children, but parents in the Philippines had not been required to use them – until now.
