The World Can and Must Do Better to Protect Pedestrians and Cyclists
According to a news report from the United Nations published on May 10, 2025, a global call to action is resonating: “We can do better” for pedestrian and cyclist safety worldwide. This signifies a growing concern and a renewed commitment to improving the lives and safety of vulnerable road users across the globe. While the specific details within the UN report aren’t fully available in this prompt, we can extrapolate based on established knowledge and the common themes that drive such initiatives.
Here’s a breakdown of what this likely means and what factors are contributing to this increased focus on pedestrian and cyclist safety:
The Problem:
- Vulnerable Road Users: Pedestrians and cyclists are often referred to as “vulnerable road users” because they lack the protective shell of a vehicle. This makes them disproportionately susceptible to serious injuries or fatalities in road accidents.
- Rising Fatalities: Globally, road traffic crashes remain a major killer. Despite advances in vehicle safety, the number of pedestrian and cyclist deaths remains stubbornly high in many countries, and in some regions, it’s even increasing. Factors like increased urbanization, inadequate infrastructure, and distracted driving contribute to this alarming trend.
- Global Inequality: The risk of death for pedestrians and cyclists is significantly higher in low- and middle-income countries. This is often due to a lack of investment in safe infrastructure, such as sidewalks, bike lanes, and well-lit crossings, as well as weaker enforcement of traffic laws.
- Health and Environmental Impacts: Beyond the immediate safety concerns, neglecting pedestrian and cyclist safety discourages active transportation. This, in turn, contributes to rising levels of obesity, cardiovascular disease, and air pollution, as more people opt for cars instead of walking or cycling.
Why “We Can Do Better”: A Call to Action
The UN’s declaration likely serves as a rallying cry for governments, organizations, and individuals to take concrete steps to improve pedestrian and cyclist safety. Here’s what “doing better” could entail:
- Prioritizing Safe Infrastructure:
- Sidewalks and Pedestrian Crossings: Investing in well-maintained sidewalks separated from traffic, and providing safe and accessible pedestrian crossings (zebra crossings, traffic lights, pedestrian bridges).
- Bike Lanes and Cycle Tracks: Building dedicated bike lanes separated from vehicular traffic whenever possible. Protected bike lanes offer an even higher level of safety.
- Reduced Speed Limits: Lowering speed limits in urban areas and residential zones. Studies have shown that even small reductions in speed can significantly decrease the severity of crashes involving pedestrians and cyclists.
- Traffic Calming Measures: Implementing measures like speed bumps, chicanes (artificial curves in the road), and roundabouts to slow down traffic in areas with high pedestrian and cyclist activity.
- Improved Lighting: Ensuring adequate street lighting, especially at intersections and crossings, to improve visibility for all road users.
- Strengthening Legislation and Enforcement:
- Stricter Laws: Enacting and enforcing laws that protect pedestrians and cyclists, such as laws against distracted driving, drunk driving, and speeding.
- Increased Penalties: Imposing meaningful penalties for drivers who endanger pedestrians and cyclists.
- Traffic Law Enforcement: Increasing police presence and enforcement of traffic laws, particularly in areas with high pedestrian and cyclist activity.
- Raising Awareness and Education:
- Public Awareness Campaigns: Educating the public about the importance of pedestrian and cyclist safety, emphasizing safe driving practices, and promoting respect for vulnerable road users.
- Driver Education: Incorporating comprehensive pedestrian and cyclist safety training into driver education programs.
- Cycling Safety Training: Providing cycling safety training to children and adults to promote safe cycling practices.
- Promoting Active Transportation:
- Incentives for Walking and Cycling: Offering incentives, such as bike-sharing programs, tax breaks for cyclists, and subsidies for public transportation, to encourage more people to walk and cycle.
- Creating Walkable and Bikeable Communities: Designing communities that are walkable and bikeable, with easy access to amenities, schools, and workplaces.
- Data Collection and Analysis:
- Comprehensive Data Collection: Collecting accurate data on road traffic crashes involving pedestrians and cyclists to identify high-risk areas and trends.
- Data-Driven Solutions: Using data to inform the development and implementation of targeted safety interventions.
The Role of the United Nations
The UN’s involvement underscores the global nature of the problem and the need for international cooperation. The UN can:
- Raise Awareness: Use its platform to raise global awareness about pedestrian and cyclist safety.
- Set Standards: Develop and promote international standards for road safety and infrastructure design.
- Facilitate Collaboration: Bring together governments, organizations, and experts to share best practices and collaborate on solutions.
- Advocate for Funding: Advocate for increased funding for road safety initiatives, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
- Monitor Progress: Monitor progress towards achieving global road safety goals and hold countries accountable for their commitments.
Conclusion
The UN’s declaration, “We can do better,” is a crucial step towards creating safer and more sustainable transportation systems for everyone. By prioritizing safe infrastructure, strengthening legislation, raising awareness, promoting active transportation, and leveraging data, we can significantly reduce the number of pedestrian and cyclist deaths and injuries and create healthier, more livable communities for all. The challenge now lies in translating this call to action into concrete, measurable improvements on the ground. This requires sustained commitment, collaboration, and a fundamental shift in how we design and manage our roads.
‘We can do better’ for pedestrian and cyclist safety worldwide
The AI has delivered the news.
The following question was used to generate the response from Google Gemini:
At 2025-05-10 12:00, ‘‘We can do better’ for pedestrian and cyclist safety worldwide’ was published according to Climate Change. Please write a detailed article with related information in an easy-to-understand manner. Please answer in English.
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