IBTTA and global members unite to promote new
"Be Safe Together" education and awareness campaign alongside U.S.
and international transportation leaders.
WASHINGTON, June 24,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the International Bridge,
Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA), the worldwide association
for the owners and operators of toll facilities and the businesses
that serve them, is proud to launch its first annual Global Road
Safety Week to promote safe driving behaviors on toll roads and
reduce vehicle crashes worldwide. The week includes a global
messaging campaign, local events and activations, as well as online
content featuring interviews and remarks from U.S. government
speakers, U.S. and European road safety advocates, and IBTTA member
organizations and global partners.
Global Road Safety Week punctuates IBTTA's "Be Safe Together"
global road safety campaign, which educates drivers about the
actions they can take to make our roads safer for all users and
highlights the importance of empathy on the roadway. The Be Safe
Together campaign seeks to overcome the tragic impact of traffic
accidents.
Globally, road incidents are the leading cause of death for
5-to-29-year-olds and last year there were 1.19 million road
vehicle fatalities. According to the World Health Organization,
road traffic deaths have fallen by 5 percent since 2010, yet road
crashes remain a persistent global health crisis.
"One road death is one too many when distraction, speeding and
impaired driving can be eliminated through the little choices we
make," said IBTTA CEO and Executive Director Pat Jones. "During Global Road Safety Week, we
are proud to launch Be Safe Together and highlight how tolling
organizations around the world are implementing safe system
approaches to dramatically reduce crashes and fatalities while
encouraging drivers to slow down, focus on the road, and make the
road safer for everyone."
The campaign is supported by the U.S. Department of
Transportation's Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). FHWA Administrator
Shailen Bhatt and NHTSA Deputy
Administrator Sophie Shulman will
deliver remarks during Global Road Safety Week, commending IBTTA
and Be Safe Together for advancing the goals of the National
Roadway Safety Strategy to eliminate roadway fatalities.
Through the campaign, IBTTA has been recognized as an official Ally
in Action for its commitment to encouraging safe driving practices
on roads around the world.
"At FHWA, safety is our top priority and our goal is to have
zero deaths and zero serious injuries on the nation's roads,
whether they are publicly funded or privately owned," said Federal
Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt.
"Our work is only one part of the solution and with the safety
commitments from partners in the tolling industry, we are one step
closer towards a safer future for all road users."
IBTTA's Global Road Safety Week, which runs today through
Friday, June 28, will mobilize IBTTA
members from around the world. Each day of Global Road Safety Week
will showcase the tolling industry's commitment to safety and work
to build, operate, and maintain safe roads, while emphasizing to
drivers that the little choices they make at each step of their
journey can make a real difference in others' lives.
"As President of IBTTA, I am proud of the progress we are making
to create a safer environment on the roads across the globe. I am
very happy for this global reach, especially when I see that my
past tenure as President of ASECAP, IRF and HELLASTRON contributed
to bringing together all of these associations, resulting in
today's global alliance," said IBTTA President Bill Halkias. "Real change in road safety cannot
and will not happen without global participation and cooperation.
IBTTA's Global Road Safety Week aims to build that bridge
worldwide."
As part of the worldwide kick-off of Global Road Safety Week,
during a virtual media event, IBTTA released "How Toll Facility
Operators Are Advancing Roadway Safety: Six Case Studies,"
featuring the safety investments, innovations, and initiatives of
tolling organizations from around the world. Among them, ASFINAG in
Austria has reduced fatalities by
50 percent from 2010 to 2020 through its safe system
strategy, the Attica Tollway in Greece features rapid response from safety
patrols averaging six minutes, and the Pennsylvania
Turnpike Commission has seen a decline of more than 30 percent in
work zone crashes.
In addition to FHWA and NHTSA, the campaign is supported by
leading road safety advocates in the U.S. and Europe, including former Secretary of
Transportation Ray LaHood, Mothers
Against Drunk Driving (MADD), and four of the world's leading
transportation advocacy organizations: European Association of
Tolled Motorway, Bridge and Tunnel Concessionaires (ASECAP),
International Road Federation (IRF), World Road Association
(PIARC), and Project EDWARD (Every Day Without A Road Death).
"Countless lives have been tragically cut short due to reckless
behavior on our nation's roads," said Stacey D. Stewart, CEO of Mothers Against Drunk
Driving. "Impaired driving fatalities are on the rise, up 33
percent since 2019. This deadly public health crisis demands a
transformative solution. Passive, lifesaving auto technology,
required by The HALT Act, will ultimately end drunk driving. But
until this technology is in all cars, we must collectively work
toward making our roads safer. MADD is proud to support IBTTA, and
its Be Safe Together campaign. Thank you for helping make road
safety and driving with empathy a priority."
Global Road Safety Week and Be Safe Together are uniting the
transportation industry, bringing together toll road organizations,
policymakers, and stakeholders to promote safer roads for all.
Learn more about Be Safe Together at www.besafetogether.org.
About IBTTA
The International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA)
is the worldwide association for the owners and operators of toll
facilities and the businesses that serve them. Founded in 1932,
IBTTA has members in more than 23 countries on six continents.
Through advocacy, thought leadership, and education, members are
implementing state-of-the-art, innovative user-based transportation
financing solutions to address the critical infrastructure
challenges of the 21st century. For more information, visit
www.ibtta.org.
Contact:
Tanya Sheres
tsheres@ibtta.org
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SOURCE International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association