Johns Hopkins International Injury Research Unit Leadership Joins Together for Launch of Commonwealth Report

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Leadership from the Johns Hopkins International Injury Research Unit (JH-IIRU) joined fellow global road safety experts for the Commonwealth Road Safety Initiative’s (CRSI) launch of the Commonwealth Expert Panel Report on Tuesday, December 9, in London. The report aims to put road safety on the agenda of the Commonwealth and includes 10 key, evidence-based recommendations.  

JH-IIRU Director Dr. Abdul Bachani and core faculty Dr. Connie Hoe, and 13 other colleagues composed the panel, which features representation from Canada, Australia, Rwanda, India, Malta, Jamaica, Bangladesh, New Zealand, South Africa, Malaysia, and the United Kingdom.

“The launch of today’s report is a testament of the hard work conducted by my colleagues on the Commonwealth expert panel,” said Dr. Bachani. “We believe that the recommendations we’ve outlined will allow the region to shift its attitude on the issue of road safety and ultimately strive for zero road traffic fatalities.”

David Ward, President and CEO of the Towards Zero Foundation delivered the opening session of the launch event, followed by a keynote speech by HRH Prince Michael of Kent.

“Commonwealth countries suffer over 500,000 road fatalities every year,” said HRH Prince Michael. “What more reason do we need to recognize road safety as an issue of relevance to the Commonwealth?”

The 10 recommendations range from putting road safety on the Commonwealth agenda to encouraging Commonwealth road safety partnerships. It is the goal of the expert panel that these recommendations will trigger more action among Commonwealth countries that will lead to the vision of zero fatalities and serious injuries.

Following the report launch, Dr. Hoe and CRSI Coordinator Jessica Truong moderated a pair of panels on country experiences of road safety and the recommendations, respectively. In the second panel, Dr. Bachani outlined the importance of two of the report’s recommendations: putting road safety on the Commonwealth’s agenda and adopting the safe system approach.

To view the full report and its recommendations, please click here.