ChooseESC at OECD/ITF high-level seminar

On 26 September 2008, David Ward, Director General of the FIA Foundation and President of eSafetyAware, spoke at a high-level seminar hosted by the International Transport Forum (ITF) and the OECD in Paris.

Involving 150 participants from 39 countries, experts at the Seminar briefed high level decision makers and held a policy debate on implementation, political feasibility and public acceptance of the measures recommended by researchers and by road safety managers in the best performing countries.

Speaking at the Seminar, David Ward, Director General of the FIA Foundation stressed  that “road users and the general public are an increasingly powerful force in pushing road safety up the political agenda. ‘Consumer demand’ has resulted in programmes such as EuroNCAP car safety testing that have radically improved safety levels”. The IRAP road infrastructure assessment programme is now beginning to promote a similar revolution in the design and maintenance of roads, he said.

In his speech, David Ward highlighted also the need for awareness campaigns to encourage the public to choose improved safety systems in vehicles like through the ChooseESC campaign, combined with fiscal incentives and regulatory standards where necessary.

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