·¬ÇÑÊÓƵjoins the global call this week for safer roads, reinforcing the need to formalise, professionalise and certify the commercial road transport sector across the globe.
As the world marks the , ·¬ÇÑÊÓƵcalls for comprehensive and coordinated action to reduce road deaths and injuries.
With thousands of lives lost every day in preventable crashes, this year's theme is ¡°Rethink Mobility: Make Walking and Cycling Safe¡±. This resonates deeply with IRU¡¯s long-standing work to make commercial road transport safer, working with authorities and other road user groups.
Commercial road transport¡¯s commitment
Safety drives all aspects of IRU's work, with the industry recognising that every accident is one too many.
Heavy-duty vehicles are involved in a relatively small share of road accidents, the majority of which (85%) are caused by human error. Of these, three-quarters are caused by other road users. Thus, driver certification, education and awareness ¨C for both heavy-duty vehicle drivers and other drivers ¨C are crucial to address the human factor and effectively reduce road accidents.
For passenger transport specifically, buses and coaches are the safest modes of private and collective mobility.
Beyond the profound human suffering and social impoverishment, accidents carry heavy operational costs, including high insurance premiums, vehicle downtime, and repair expenses. Even minor incidents involving commercial vehicles ¨C regardless of cause ¨C can harm the industry's reputation.
At the heart of this year¡¯s global efforts is the , adopted at the 4th Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety. It calls on governments to:
- Integrate essential safety features into the design, operation and maintenance of all vehicles and infrastructure
- Ratify and implement international conventions that target road safety improvements
- Promote capacity building, technical support and knowledge-sharing, particularly for developing countries
- Prioritise multimodal transport strategies and infrastructure that protect pedestrians and cyclists
These calls to action aim to halve global road traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2030, and make road safety a sustained political, financial and technical priority in every country.
·¬ÇÑÊÓƵSecretary General Umberto de Pretto said, ¡°Professional driver training, regulation and certification are necessary tools to prevent road accidents and save lives. It¡¯s time that we focus on the main cause of accidents, human behaviour, and implement these effective targeted actions everywhere.¡±
Reducing pedestrian and cyclist deaths
Professional passenger services and road freight are the backbone of safe, sustainable mobility.
Behind every commercial vehicle are trained professionals and robust systems that prevent road accidents, enforce safety regulations, and safeguard vulnerable road users. Human error accounts for roughly 85-90% of all road transport accidents, while vehicle defects or poor road design contribute about 5%, and adverse weather conditions just 4%. Pedestrians (16%) and cyclists (6%) together represent nearly one-quarter of all traffic fatalities, underscoring the need to prioritise human-factor interventions.
Ultimately, strengthening human-factor controls ¨C from targeted training programmes, stricter certification regimes and driver monitoring systems ¨C addresses the root cause of up to 90% of road accidents, also protecting vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists.
IRU¡¯s approach for safer roads
IRU¡¯s vision for safer roads hinges on empowering every commercial road transport operator and driver through tailored, high-quality training and universally recognised certification.
Within a broader effort to foster a genuine road safety culture and awareness among children, adults and seniors, ·¬ÇÑÊÓƵfocuses on the human element by supporting training programmes and certification systems for all professional road users.
Central to this effort is the international recognition of ·¬ÇÑÊÓƵAcademy certificates and diplomas as benchmark standards, alongside the harmonisation of driving licence systems, and robust national examination and certification of professional drivers.
Strategic pillars
To advance global road safety, ·¬ÇÑÊÓƵleads action through four strategic pillars to help the sector formalise, professionalise, validate and manage commercial road transport.
Formalise ¨C Road safety begins with a solid legal and regulatory framework. ·¬ÇÑÊÓƵworks with governments to ensure that regulations underpin ¨C rather than trail ¨C safe mobility and supply chains.
·¬ÇÑÊÓƵhelps governments ratify and implement key UN road safety conventions and build the legal frameworks needed to reduce fatalities. From upgrading training systems to advising on global vehicle safety standards, ·¬ÇÑÊÓƵis formalising the transport sector to drive change.
Professionalise ¨C Well-trained, certified drivers are the front line of accident prevention. IRU¡¯s global academy network of training institutes equips them with the skills to operate safely, efficiently and sustainably. For instance, defensive driving programmes for fleets and harmonised ADR training are saving lives in commercial and humanitarian contexts.
