GRSF has released a new report, Safe and Clean Vehicles for Healthier and More Productive Societies, offering compelling evidence that upgrading vehicle safety and emissions standards—especially for used vehicles—can deliver major health and economic benefits for emerging and developing economies.

Motorization is accelerating rapidly in many parts of the world, driven by urbanization and a growing demand for mobility. But while access to vehicles is expanding, the safety and environmental quality of those vehicles often lags behind. As a result, vehicle-related air pollution now claim more than 550,000 lives annually and impose an economic burden of nearly $800 billion per year. In addition, road crashes kill an estimated 1.19 million people per year.

While electric vehicles help reduce tailpipe emissions, they make only a modest dent in public health risks unless accompanied by strong vehicle standards and fleet renewal policies. The report finds that the largest safety and air quality gains come regulating both new and used vehicle imports, enforcing compliance with safety and emissions standards, and retiring old, unsafe vehicles from the fleet.

This comprehensive “motorization management” approach can reduce fatalities and serious injuries by up to 9%, while significantly curbing toxic emissions that impair cognitive development in children and drive long-term disability.

The report includes policy modeling across eight countries—Argentina, Brazil, Arab Republic of Egypt, Ghana, India, Kazakhstan, Lao PDR, and Mexico—and provides practical recommendations that can be adapted to a wide range of country contexts.

By aligning vehicle safety, emissions control, and inspection policies, countries can not only reduce road traffic deaths and injuries—they can also protect human capital, improve air quality, and support more productive, resilient economies.

The 22nd edition of the Transforming Transportation conference (“TT25”) was held at World Bank Headquarters in Washington, D.C. on March 11-12, 2025. Co-hosted annually by the World Bank and the World Resources Institute (WRI), this year’s conference centered on the theme Driving Change, Delivering Solutions. GRSF played an active role throughout the event, ensuring that road safety remained a key priority and that the momentum from the 4th Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety—held just one month earlier and convened every five years—continued to drive progress.

Plenary Session: Road Safety Leadership Towards 2030

The plenary session Road Safety Leadership Towards 2030, underscored the essential role of leadership and governance in driving effective road safety interventions globally as the world reaches the midway point of the second UN Decade of Action for Road Safety. Keynote speaker Benacer Boulaajoul, Director of Morocco’s National Road Safety Agency, highlighted the positive impact of the Marrakech Ministerial conference and emphasized the imperative to build on its successes and put the Marrakech Declaration into practice.

During the panel discussion, World Bank Vice President for People, Mamta Murthi, stressed the linkage between road safety and human development, stressing that safe roads are "essential infrastructure that protects human capital and enables sustainable development." Madrid's Head of Mobility Planning and Infrastructure, María Eugenia López, emphasized her city’s innovative use of urban redesign strategies that prioritize pedestrians, cyclists, and other vulnerable road users, transforming city spaces into safer and more accessible environments.

Malta’s Minister for Transport, Infrastructure, and Public Works, Chris Bonett, emphasized the importance of comprehensive strategies that combine road safety education, enforcement, infrastructure upgrades, and incentives to shift road user behavior. Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Road Safety Program Director, Kelly Larson, provided examples of road safety leadership globally and made the point that road safety education without enforcement is just “entertainment”, arguing for comprehensive approaches to road safety that are backed up by strong incentives.

The plenary concluded with a strong emphasis on cross-sector collaboration, strategic partnerships, and evidence-based solutions as pivotal for achieving significant, lasting reductions in road traffic fatalities.

Fireside Chat with Jean Todt

The plenary session on road safety was immediately followed by a “fireside chat” with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety and Formula One legend, Jean Todt. In the frank and open discussion, Jean Todt described road crash fatalities as a "crisis of pandemic proportions" that overwhelmingly affects developing countries. Drawing from his book, The Silent Pandemic on the Road, Todt emphasized communication, enforcement, and education as indispensable tools in curtailing road crashes.

Todt then turned his attention to the growing issue of motorcycle safety, highlighting the seeming paradox of motorcyclists wearing masks to protect against COVID-19 but neglecting helmets that could save their lives in the event of a crash. Todt applauded the government of Morocco’s decisive action following the Marrakech Ministerial, mandating that every motorcycle sold in Morocco include two UN standard helmets—a significant policy shift aimed at protecting vulnerable road users. Despite the magnitude of the challenge, Todt suggested that the Marrakech Ministerial and TT25 have catalyzed global leadership for concrete action—particularly from developing countries committed to making road safety an urgent public-health priority.

Motorcycle Safety: Innovative Approaches to a Global Crisis

Motorcycle safety emerged as a critical issue at TT25, with motorcycles now accounting for a third of global road traffic deaths. At the breakout session titled Motorcycle Safety: Growing Challenges, Innovative Solutions, moderator Said Dahdah, Program Manager of GRSF, framed the urgency of the discussion: “motorcycles are often viewed solely as a problem due to safety risks, but they also play a vital role in providing mobility and employment, particularly where public transportation falls short.” 

Benacer Boulaajoul, Director of Morocco’s National Road Safety Agency, highlighted the recent decision in his country, made at the Marrakech Ministerial, to provide two UN standard helmets with the purchase of every motorcycle, a policy expected to significantly improve rider safety. Segundo López, Head of Road Safety in the city of Bogotá, Colombia, made the point that “managing vehicle speeds and improving road design are the most effective ways to reduce motorcycle-related fatalities.”

Kristin Smith, Head of Global Road Safety Policy at Uber, discussed the role of technology in enhancing motorcycle safety, stating, “technology is a powerful tool in motorcycle safety. Our helmet detection feature is just one step—consistent enforcement and partnerships are essential to creating a safer environment for riders.” Sam Clark, Head of Programmes at Transaid, shared findings from a recent Transaid and FIA Foundation study examining health costs of motorcycle taxi crashes in Kenya, and called for the establishment of a helmet testing laboratory in East Africa to address substandard helmets.

Davis G. Mwamfupe, Mayor of Dodoma, Tanzania, provided insights on the current enforcement level of helmet standards and shared the most effective strategies for promoting helmet use and other safety measures among motorcyclists in Dodoma. Elizaveta Zeynalova, Senior Research Manager at Vital Strategies, shared motorcyclist behavioral insights that can enhance road safety campaigns and interventions, and underscored that motorcyclists’ understanding of the rationale behind strong motorcycle safety reforms reduces pushback and improves compliance.

Said Dahdah, Program Manager of GRSF at the World Bank, closed the session by capturing the collective consensus: “Achieving significant reductions in motorcycle fatalities requires coordination between governments, private companies, and civil society organizations.” Ultimately, addressing this growing crisis requires a Safe System approach, combining infrastructure improvements, speed management, and safety regulations.

Intelligent Speed Assistance: A Game-Changer for Safer Roads

Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) is emerging as a key technology in speed management, offering a practical solution for reducing vehicle speeds, preventing road crashes, and improving environmental efficiency. With ISA now mandatory in the European Union for all new vehicles as of July 2024, the technology is gaining global momentum as a critical tool for improving road safety.

At the TT25 side event, Intelligent Speed Assistance: Transformational Technology for Speed Management, experts discussed the significant role of ISA in addressing the persistent issue of speeding, which contributes to a large percentage of road fatalities. David Ward, President Emeritus of Global NCAP, emphasized that “speed management is critical to reducing crashes and injuries. ISA is a game-changing technology that provides a real solution to the persistent problem of speeding.”

Speakers highlighted how ISA can be integrated into public transport systems and commercial vehicle fleets as a first step in a phased approach, eventually leading to broader adoption. Natalie Draisin Director of the North America Office of the FIA Foundation, pointed out that fleets hold significant buying power, adding, “as more fleets adopt ISA, we can achieve economies of scale and ultimately change the social norm around speeding.” This growing readiness for ISA is a positive sign for its broader acceptance in North America, where the technology is becoming a more integral part of the safety landscape.

In the second half of the event, Dipan Bose, Senior Transport Specialist at the World Bank, facilitated a dynamic discussion on the global acceleration of ISA deployment, emphasizing the urgent need for its implementation to reduce speeding-related road fatalities. Claudia Adriazola-Steil, Director of Health & Road Safety at the World Resources Institute, highlighted the dual benefits of ISA: "Integrating ISA into urban transport systems not only enhances road safety but also contributes to environmental sustainability through reduced emissions."

With ISA now a requirement in Europe and gaining momentum worldwide, it holds tremendous potential to not just reduce speeding—but to create safer and more sustainable streets and communities.

GRSF had a strong presence at the 4th Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety, held from February 17–20, 2025 in Marrakech, Morocco. With the world approaching the halfway point of the second UN Decade of Action for Road Safety (2021–2030), the conference served as a critical platform to assess progress, discuss ongoing challenges, and make new commitments to improving road safety and saving lives.

GRSF played a central role across high-level sessions, bilateral engagements, and knowledge-sharing events. From launching a report on sustainable finance to convening global heads of road safety lead agencies, GRSF reinforced its leadership in advancing safe and sustainable mobility.

Livestream recordings from the conference are available here.

Pre-Conference Event — Network of Heads of National Road Safety Agencies

On February 17, GRSF co-hosted a meeting of the Network of Heads of National Road Safety Agencies alongside the World Health Organization. Held as a full-day workshop on the day before the Ministerial Conference, the meeting brought together senior representatives from national road safety lead agencies around the world to exchange experiences and discuss how to accelerate progress toward the global target of halving road traffic deaths by 2030.

The World Bank’s Global Director for Transport, Nicolas Peltier, delivered opening remarks, emphasizing the critical importance of strong institutional leadership, sustainable financing, and capacity-building. He highlighted GRSF’s recently updated Strengthening Road Safety Management guidelines, which offer countries a roadmap to improve coordination, build institutional capacity, and implement effective road safety strategies for sustainable reductions in fatalities and injuries.

Structured around a “World Café” format, the meeting enabled dynamic discussions across key themes—including the role of lead agencies, technological innovation, and coordination frameworks between government ministries and agencies. The event reaffirmed the central role that road safety lead agencies play in driving road safety outcomes, and the value of peer-to-peer learning through global networks.

More details here.

Plenary Session – Empowering Governments: Pathways to Sustainable Road Safety Financing

On February 18, the World Bank’s Global Director for Transport, Nicolas Peltier, participated in a high-level panel discussion during the plenary session, Empowering Governments: Pathways to Sustainable Road Safety Financing. The session brought together global transport and finance leaders to explore how governments can secure long-term, reliable financing for road safety, emphasizing the urgent need to embed road safety into national budget planning and broader development agendas.

The discussion highlighted the importance of aligning road safety with cross-cutting priorities such as climate resilience, public health, and sustainable urban mobility. Speakers explored strategies to integrate safety considerations into investments that also support environmental and social goals. Discussions also examined innovative financing mechanisms, including public-private partnerships and sustainability-linked bonds, as tools to bridge the significant road safety funding gap. Panelists called for stronger collaboration across ministries—especially transport, finance, health, and planning—to ensure that road safety receives the sustained attention and resources needed to deliver lasting, equitable improvements in mobility and public well-being.

Side Event — MDBs’ Road Safety Working Group Meeting

Also on February 18, GRSF convened the Multilateral Development Banks’ (MDBs’) Road Safety Working Group at the Ministerial Conference to reaffirm their joint commitment to scaling up road safety financing and technical support. The meeting brought together representatives from major MDBs, including the World Bank, to assess progress since the launch of their joint statement at the Stockholm Ministerial in 2020 and to chart a path forward for stronger collaboration.

The discussion focused on the persistent financing gap—estimated at $400 billion over the next decade—and the need to expand the use of innovative instruments such as results- and policy-based lending, sustainable bonds, and blended finance. Participants discussed the key takeaways from the recently launched report co-authored by GRSF and the World Bank Treasury, Financing Road Safety: Catalyzing the Sustainable Finance Market to Bridge the Gap, which outlines how countries can access green and social bond markets to support national road safety programs.

The group released a press release in multiple languages—Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish—to coincide with the meeting, acknowledging the critical role MDBs play in combining financing with technical expertise and policy support. The press release announced that, from 2018 to 2024, MDBs mobilized over $6 billion in road safety investments in low- and middle-income countries, contributing to measurable reductions in fatalities and injuries. With growing demand for safe roads and urban transport investments, MDBs estimate that their road safety financing could reach $10 billion over the next decade.

The Working Group committed to deepening coordination, strengthening country-level engagement, and advocating for road safety to be embedded into national infrastructure planning. As the Secretariat of the MDBs’ Working Group, GRSF continues to play a key role in fostering collaboration among MDBs and driving catalytic development financing for road safety.

Report Launch: Africa Status Report on Road Safety 2025

On February 19, the Africa Transport Policy Program (SSATP)—a partnership hosted by the World Bank—officially launched the Africa Status Report on Road Safety 2025. The event was conducted in collaboration with the African Union Commission (AUC) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

The report offers a detailed look at road safety trends across Africa, covering crash outcomes, legislation, infrastructure, vehicle standards, and emergency response. It highlights that Africa continues to face the world’s highest road traffic fatality rates—approximately 650 deaths daily, with pedestrians making up 39% of the toll. The report also identifies critical data and policy gaps and outlines recommended actions to strengthen road safety systems.

Speakers included representatives from SSATP, AUC, and WHO, who discussed the report's main takeaways and discussed the urgency of implementing the report's proposed actions to reduce road traffic fatalities and injuries across the continent.

Parallel Session — Mobilizing the Private Sector: Road Safety Assessment Framework for Corporate Action

On February 19, the World Bank’s Global Director for Transport, Nicolas Peltier, participated in a panel during the parallel session Mobilizing Business—Road Safety Assessment Framework for Corporate Action and Reporting. The session brought together business leaders, government officials, and representatives of multilateral organizations to explore how the private sector can contribute to safer roads through better governance, procurement practices, and performance reporting.

Peltier introduced the new Financing Road Safety report, highlighting the opportunity of tapping into the trillion-dollar sustainable finance market to support large-scale road safety investments. He emphasized that low- and middle-income countries require an estimated $400 billion over the next decade to meet global road safety targets—far beyond what public budgets alone are likely to provide.

The panel discussed how businesses can integrate road safety into their operations and supply chains, while the Peltier stressed the complementary role of the public sector in developing bankable projects, de-risking investments, and enhancing access to capital markets. The session also reinforced the importance of embedding road safety in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategies and aligning investments with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Parallel Session — Delivering Results-Focused Road Safety Governance: How It Is Done and Who Does It?

Moderated by Said Dahdah, Program Manager of GRSF, this session on February 19 examined how different institutional and governance models influence the effectiveness of road safety management. Grounded in the Safe System approach, the discussion explored how a lead agency—or the absence of one—can shape national efforts to reduce road traffic deaths. Three models were presented: a dedicated lead agency; an institution assuming partial lead functions; and a decentralized model with no coordinating body.

Panelists reflected on experiences in low- and middle-income countries and highlighted common challenges related to coordination, accountability, and achieving results. The session also addressed how road safety governance can align with broader Sustainable Development Goals, emphasizing the need for cross-sector collaboration among transport, health, urban development, and environmental institutions. The session underscored that strong leadership, clear mandates, and institutional coordination are key to delivering sustainable road safety outcomes.

Plenary Session – From Mobilizing to Organizing: The Challenges of Implementation

On February 19, World Bank Vice President for Infrastructure, Guangzhe Chen, delivered closing remarks at the plenary session From Mobilizing to Organizing: The Challenges of Implementation, calling for urgent, coordinated action to address the global road safety crisis. He underscored the devastating toll of road crashes, which claim a life every 24 seconds and disproportionately affect low- and middle-income countries.

Chen highlighted that while MDBs have collectively mobilized over $6 billion for road safety since 2018, bridging the estimated $400 billion funding gap requires bold new approaches. He emphasized the role of GRSF in catalyzing over $4 billion in World Bank-financed road safety projects and supporting countries in designing high-impact, results-based investments.

A key focus of Chen’s remarks was the growing opportunity to leverage the sustainable finance market. He announced the launch of a new World Bank guide to help governments issue social and green bonds for road safety investments—offering an innovative way to expand financing while aligning with investor demand and sustainability goals.

Chen closed with a call to action for governments, development banks, and the private sector to scale investments, strengthen institutions, and implement life-saving policies. He invited all stakeholders to engage with GRSF and help build safer, more inclusive road systems. “The Marrakech Declaration has set the stage,” he said. “Now is the time to act.”

Advancing Motorcycle Safety: World Bank Commitment at UN Group of Advisors Meeting

At the Fourth Meeting of the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety’s Group of Advisors on February 19, the World Bank reaffirmed its strong commitment to improving motorcycle safety—one of the most urgent road safety challenges in low- and middle-income countries. During the session on the Safe and Affordable Helmet (SAAH) initiative, the World Bank presented its ongoing contributions across three priority areas: adherence, awareness, and availability.

The World Bank highlighted efforts to support helmet standards adoption in Bangladesh and Kenya, awareness campaigns for women riders in Bangladesh, and training for commercial motorcyclists in Viet Nam. It also announced a partnership with IFC to scale up helmet production and distribution in Africa and India, alongside electric two-wheeler manufacturers and delivery companies.

GRSF’s co-financing of a UN Road Safety Fund grant for a new motorcycle safety assessment program in Southeast Asia was also spotlighted. The World Bank emphasized its commitment to embedding helmet safety into policies, projects, and private sector partnerships to help save lives on the road.

Building Partnerships: Strategic Bilateral Engagements

Throughout the conference, the World Bank and GRSF delegation held numerous bilateral meetings with ministers and senior officials from countries including Morocco, the United Kingdom, Kenya, India, Pakistan, Malta, and Brazil, as well as with key partners such as TotalEnergies, CITA, and the UN Special Envoy for Road Safety. These high-level discussions served as critical opportunities to strengthen collaboration, explore new financing avenues, and align on shared priorities for road safety.

The bilateral engagements focused on supporting national strategies to scale up road safety investments and strengthen institutional capacity. Delegates also explored technical cooperation opportunities.

Showcasing Innovation: GRSF Booth at the Exhibition Hall

Throughout the conference, GRSF hosted a prominent booth in the exhibition hall. The booth showcased the GRSF’s latest tools and publications, and attracted a steady stream of delegates, including ministers, development partners, and private sector leaders.

As road safety leaders gathered in Marrakech for the 4th Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety, GRSF and the World Health Organization (WHO) convened a meeting of the Network of Heads of National Road Safety Agencies on February 17 -- the day before the conference -- bringing together dozens of national road safety agency staff from around the world. The gathering provided a crucial platform for lead agencies to exchange experiences, address challenges, and strengthen collaboration to advance the goals of the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030.

Opening remarks from global road safety leaders—including Abdessamad Kayouh (Morocco Minister of Transport and Logistics), Juan Carlos Munoz (Chile Minister of Transport and Telecommunications), Etienne Krug (WHO), Nicolas Peltier-Thiberge (World Bank), Said Dahdah (World Bank), and Nneka Henry (UN Road Safety Fund)—set the stage for a day of interactive discussions focused on actionable solutions.

At the heart of the meeting was small group discussions on four key themes:

• Assessing country progress and challenges in achieving global road safety targets.
• Enhancing the role of lead agencies in coordinating national road safety efforts.
• Harnessing innovative technology to improve road safety.
• Defining the future scope and activities of the Global Network.

Participants engaged in multiple discussion rounds, rotating between thematic tables to exchange insights, share best practices, and explore solutions for overcoming institutional, financial, and technical barriers that often come in the way of the effective delivery of road safety. These discussions reinforced the critical role of national road safety agencies in driving policy reforms, mobilizing resources, and coordinating the implementation of evidence-based interventions to save lives on the road.

In the closing session, facilitators from each thematic group presented key takeaways and proposed next steps for the Global Network. Discussions highlighted the value of continued knowledge-sharing, capacity-building, and cross-regional cooperation to strengthen national road safety leadership.

GRSF and the World Bank Treasury have published a groundbreaking new report, Financing Road Safety: Catalyzing the Sustainable Finance Market to Bridge the Gap. The report provides practical guidance to governments on how to access innovative financial instruments to mobilize private capital for essential road safety projects.

Road traffic injuries claim approximately 1.19 million lives annually, with low and middle-income countries disproportionately bearing 92% of these fatalities despite possessing only 60% of the world's vehicles. The economic impact is profound, costing these nations about $1.7 trillion each year, equivalent to 2%–6% of their GDP. Traditional funding and financing mechanisms have proven inadequate to address this crisis.

In fact, a recent study estimated that the funding gap to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goal of halving road crash fatalities and serious injuries by 2030 is approximately $400 billion, which is the estimated amount needed to pay for road upgrades, enforcement campaigns, vehicle safety improvements, and other interventions that, taken together, can reach this target. 

The new report highlights the potential of “labeled” sustainable finance instruments—such as green, social, sustainability, and sustainability-linked bonds and loans—to help close the funding gap. By linking road safety initiatives with investors' environmental, social, and governance (ESG) priorities, these financial instruments can unlock private capital for critical road safety programs. The report serves as a practical guide for governments, multilateral development banks (MDBs), and the private sector, outlining how these instruments can be effectively structured and deployed to maximize impact.

Sustainable bond issuances have exceeded $1 trillion annually for four consecutive years, reflecting strong global demand for ESG-aligned investment projects. The guide maps out eligible road safety investments and aligns them with recognized green and social bond categories under international Capital and Loan Market principles. By tapping into these instruments, national and subnational governments, as well as state-owned enterprises, can secure financing for large-scale road safety programs that would otherwise remain underfunded.