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WHO wants to “Make Walking Safe” during Road Safety Week

WHO wants to “Make Walking Safe” during Road Safety Week

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For too long road safety has been viewed through the lens of motorists, ignoring the needs of pedestrians and cyclists, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

This Global Road Safety Week, 6 – 12 May 2013, WHO is calling for new laws, or enforcement of legislation already in existence, to reduce speeding and other bad driving practices which kill 5,000 pedestrians each week.

WHO says pedestrian deaths are highest in Africa and lowest in the South-East Asia Region (12%). For example, in Liberia, they account for nearly two-thirds of road traffic deaths.

For more on this, Patrick Maigua in Geneva spoke to Dr. Etienne Krug, Director of WHO’s Department of Violence and Injury Prevention and Disability.