Keeping the roads safe for all road users is a global concern. Every year 1.25 million people are killed and around 50 million are injured in road traffic crashes, making it one of the most pressing health emergencies of our time. 500 children lose their lives on the road every day; with road traffic accidents representing the leading cause of death for young people aged 15 to 29.
As guardian of the United Nations Road Safety Conventions, UNECE is host to the Global Forum for Road Traffic Safety (WP.1) – the only permanent intergovernmental body in the United Nations system that focuses on improving road safety. Its primary function is to promote the harmonization of traffic rules, bringing countries together to ensure that rules are up to date and applied as widely as possible.
At its seventy-fifth session, the Global Forum will discuss – among other subjects – the integration within the international legal framework of provisions concerning highly automated and/or driverless vehicles, in order to ensure that improving road safety remains a driving force for technological innovation.
One of the most highly regarded British photographers of his generation, Peter Marlow began his career as a photojournalist with the Sygma news agency in 1976. He joined Magnum Photos in 1980, remaining there for rest of his career.
