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The World Health Organization (WHO) research shows that road traffic injures are a leading cause of death and disability worldwide, with around 1.3 million people killed and as many as 50 million people injured each year. For people aged 5-29 years, there is no greater threat to their lives. Globally, 1 of every 4 deaths occurs among pedestrians and cyclists. Reducing this shocking statistic is a key priority for the WHO and United Nations (UN) as part of their ‘Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety’. To support this global plan, 15th to 21st May is the UN’s 7th Global Road Safety Week, which TRL is proudly championing.
TRL is a world leader in transport safety and has developed products and expert services that have been proven to analyse, minimise and prevent road collisions.
To raise awareness of Global Road Safety Week, TRL will be posting a series of blogs written by our in-house experts, focusing on topics that relate to a future in which transport is safe for everyone.
Today, Our UN Technical Lead Craig Arnold has written a blog on how the UN is leading by example and improving their road safety with the help of TRL:
The day-to-day work of collision investigators varies greatly, but ultimately, collision investigators aim to understand the causal and contributory factors that relate to collisions. By gaining a thorough understanding of the key factors at play, organisations can implement improvements to their practice to reduce the number, and severity, of collisions involving vehicles on the road.
Understanding the key contributory factors in collisions involving their vehicles has been a key focus for UNHCR: The Refugee Agency. UNHCR has recently appointed TRL to undertake traffic crash investigations and root cause analysis. I am proud to have taken on the role of Technical Lead for this important project which will see TRL supporting UNHCR across the globe. We hope that through this project we will keep the incredibly important work carried out by UNHCR moving.
To keep UNHCR teams working round the clock, around the world, they need transport. UNHCR operates a fleet of around 10,000 vehicles. The fleet includes everything from motorcycles to armoured trucks. All sizes, shapes, makes, models, and ages. These vehicles cover thousands of miles a year, often in remote and inhospitable areas. As with many organisations, road crashes pose a significant threat to the health and safety of their personnel, their partners, Persons of Concern, and the local communities in which they operate.
UNHCR has shown incredible leadership in road safety by allowing an independent and impartial investigation of collisions involving their vehicles. We believe that more organisations should adopt this approach, which we suggest shows a genuine commitment to road safety by being open and willing to understand the reality of collision within their organisation.
Having begun work, we have established a formal process to respond to collisions, which includes investigating the scene of the incident and providing a root cause analysis for every collision. Through this approach, we have been able to quickly identify trends and highlight causal and contributory factors which UNHCR can use to make improvements. We have already seen changes implemented to improve how post-collision response is carried out.
By identifying patterns, we can develop action plans and interventions to make using UNHCR vehicles safer for everyone on the road. It also means that any recommendations to change the way UNHCR does things will be backed by factual evidence.
Although the UNHCR is a unique organisation; a formal process for collision investigation would be equally beneficial for any organisation which operates a fleet of vehicles. Without understanding how and why collisions are occurring, it is practically impossible to make any real impact on road safety. I wanted to take this opportunity during UN Road Safety Week to highlight the example set by UNHCR in achieving road safety improvements which will make future journeys safer by applying a Safe Systems approach focussing on safe roads, vehicles, road use, and speeds.
TRL employs a range of experts, including ex-police officers with extensive experience in traffic law and why traffic law violations lead to road crashes. TRL’s collision investigation team is regularly called upon to give evidence in court in high-profile incidents reported in the media. We believe that our approach – which is being operated by the UNHCR – can help any organisation which operates a fleet achieve a real impact on road safety. We encourage other organisations to follow the lead of UNHCR and ensure any traffic crash is investigated thoroughly with a focus on learning.
I look forward to playing my part in supporting the UN and the World Health Organisation realising their Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety.
To find out more about UN Global Road Safety week visit 7th UN Global Road Safety Week (who.int) and check out TRL’s social media for the next blog.
TRL have the expert knowledge and experience to be able to assist with any type of investigation, however complex. Please contact investigations@trl.co.uk to discuss your requirements further.
About the Author
Craig Arnold is UN Technical Lead in the Investigations Group at TRL, specialising in road accident reconstruction and providing consultancy advice. Craig holds a Master’s degree and is researching the use of big-data and machine learning to reduce road collisions whilst studying for a PhD in Criminology.
Craig has over a decade of experience working in road safety and has investigated road collisions both within the UK and internationally. Prior to joining TRL, Craig was a serving police officer and was Chair of the board of trustees for a charity in the North-West of England which supports those affected by road collisions. He currently specialises in the forensic analysis of digital data and CCTV to reconstruct road collisions; latterly this has included providing consultancy on projects involving connected and autonomous vehicles (CAV).
