#love30 - Streets for Life

Every 24 seconds a person dies in a road traffic crash somewhere in the world. That adds up to 1.3 million people every year. Another 50 million are seriously injured. Such crashes are the number one killer of young people aged 5 to 29. 

Horrifying statistics which galvanised many governments around the world into signing up to the 2020 Stockholm Declaration, which calls on countries to focus on speed management and adopt the #Love30 movement, limiting speed to 30km/h on streets where vulnerable road users and vehicles mix.

The Stockholm Declaration calls on countries to focus on speed management and adopt the #Love30 movement.

The declaration, issued at the third global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety in Sweden, calls for a focus on liveable streets, with a new fatality reduction target of at least 50% in road traffic deaths from now until 2030.

The declaration also noted that speed reductions would contribute to  improvements in air quality, and therefore help countries tackle climate change.

This week is United Nations Global Road Safety week, it’s theme #Love30. Road safety experts say a child hit by a car at 30 km/h can survive. Hit at 80 km/h most will die.

Campaigners say lower speeds are also urgent for the climate’s sake.

As part of this year’s campaign people are invited to sign an open letter calling for speed reduction, which will be presented to world leaders next year at a meeting on road safety.

Campaign organisers say action on speed is urgent for public health, by making walking and cycling safer and more accessible, and enabling and encouraging healthy lifestyles. Liveable streets are more crucial than ever they say, as the world responds to COVID-19.

Every 24 seconds a person dies in a road traffic crash somewhere in the world.

They say lower speeds are also urgent for our climate, as a key that unlocks a “virtuous cycle of zero carbon active travel, shifting from car dependence, enabling thriving public transportation, cleaner air and lower CO2 emissions”.

And urgent for the rights of people with disabilities; for the elderly; for children and youth. “They are most at risk on the streets where they live, play and travel to school.”

More information, including resources on street design guides can be found here.