15^th TRANSPORTATION WORKING GROUP
Santiago de Chile, April 19 - 23,1999

 TPT/WG/15/SE/SC/3.3

Third Meeting of Steering Committee on
Safe and Environment-Friendly Transportation Systems

 Review of existing projects
 Road Transportation Safety Experts

 CHINESE TAIPEI

I. Project Background

1. Because road safety problems significantly affect the quality of life of all APEC citizens, to improve road safety is one of the most important responsibilities of all APEC member economies. Therefore, the importance of road safety was brought up in the 11th APEC Transportation Working Group (TPT-WG) meeting by the delegation of Chinese Taipei. Later, as suggested by the Joint Ministerial Statement, the "proposal for the establishment of road transportation safety expert" was offered by Chinese Taipei and accepted in the 12th APEC TPT-WG plenary meeting in Taipei, Chinese Taipei.

2. It is believed that we all have some valuable experiences in dealing with the problems of road safety. Therefore, by sharing the ideas and experiences among member economies, the main function of the Road Safety Expert Group is to identify problems, find causes, and provide solutions. The Expert Group does not attempt to change any existing program, organization, or system in each economy. The findings and discussion results of the Group may be used by APEC economies as a reference to improve their road safety.

3. This project proposes three phases. Phase I is to survey the comprehensive road safety strategies and the accident data systems of all APEC member economies. Phase II is to identify important road safety problems facing APEC member economies and some of the best ways to alleviate these problems. Phase III is to develop a practice manual as a reference for all APEC member economies to enhance their road transportation safety.

II. Progress Since 12th APEC TPT-WG Meeting

4. According to the Phase I of the Proposal, a draft questionnaire was designed and it was circulated to all APEC member economies for seeking comments. The draft questionnaire was revised and accepted in the first Road Safety Expert Group meeting held in the 13th APEC TPT-WG meeting in Mexico.

5. The questionnaire includes four parts. Part I of the questionnaire is to gather the existing road safety strategy packages conducted by each economy. Part II is to survey the format of the accident reporting systems currently used by each economy. Part III is to find the aggregated accident data formats periodically published by each economy. Part IV is to survey the basic road safety information of each economy.

6. All APEC member economies were requested to complete the questionnaire and sent it back to Chinese Taipei for analysis. To date, fifteen economies (including Australia; Brunei Darussalam; Canada; Chile; Hong Kong, China; Indonesia; Japan; Republic of Korea; Malaysia; Mexico; New Zealand; Papua New Guinea; Singapore; Chinese Taipei; Thailand) have sent their replies to Chinese Taipei. The replies have been organized in a draft project report.

7. In addition to reply to the questionnaire, Canada provided information of the International Road Transport Accident Database (IRTAD) of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Australia, Japan and United Stated also provided additional information of their traffic safety programs. Those are very useful references for the project.

III. Discussion results in the 14th APEC TPT-WG Meeting

8. There were 20 experts from 13 member economies (including Australia; Brunei Darussalam; Canada; People’s Republic of China; Japan; Republic of Korea; Malaysia; Mexico; New Zealand; Papua New Guinea; Chinese Taipei; Thailand and United States) participating in the 14th meeting. Experts have discussed and identified major road transportation safety problems for future studies. Future studies will focus on each particular problem, and collect countermeasures or solutions from all APEC member economies.

9. All experts agreed Chinese Taipei to complete the planning and design of the questionnaire before the 15th APEC TPT-WG meeting in Chile. Drafts will be circulated to member economies out of session, and the final questionnaire will be discussed in the meeting in Chile.

10. A survey framework for the major road safety problems was discussed in the meeting, and agreed as a reference for the questionnaire.

IV. Progress Since 14th APEC TPT-WG Meeting

11. An invitation was facsimiled to three new APEC member economies, Peru, Russia and Vietnam, to recommend their road safety experts. To date, there are 23 experts recommended by 17 member economies including Australia; Brunei Darussalam; Canada; Chile; People’s Republic of China; Hong Kong, China; Japan; Republic of Korea; Mexico; New Zealand; Papua New Guinea; Peru; Republic of the Philippines; Singapore; Chinese Taipei; Thailand; and Vietnam. All APEC member economies are welcome to join the Road Safety Expert Group.

12. The questionnaire of Phase I was sent to the three new APEC member economies for obtaining their information. After their replies are sent to Chinese Taipei and combined with the replies of other member economies, the whole draft report will be circulated to all APEC member economies for seeking comments.

13. Several member economies, People’s Republic of China; Japan; Republic of Korea; New Zealand; Chinese Taipei; and United States of America, provided their description of the twelve major road transportation safety problems identified in the 14th meeting. Based on their statements, a draft questionnaire was designed and circulated to all APEC member economies for seeking comments.

V. Summary of Discussion

14. There are 22 experts from 11 member economies (including Australia; Canada; Chile; People’s Republic of China; Japan; Republic of Korea; Mexico; New Zealand; Chinese Taipei; Thailand; and United States of America) participating in the 15th TPT-WG meeting in Chile.

15. Mexico announces that a conference named "1st National Meeting about Prevent Accidents in Highways and Roads" will be held on 10-12 October 1999 in Mexico. Mexico welcomes all APEC member economies to attend the conference. Economies could contact Mexico for the detail program.

16. Korea gives a presentation to introduce a study about a "Cut Slopes Management System" (CSMS). Korea spent several years to develop this system, and the system saves 45% of budget for maintaining cut slopes. The system could be one of the solutions for the road side cut slope management problem identified in the 14th TPT-WG meeting.

17. The United States reports that this past February, the World Bank launched the Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) under its broader Business Partners for Development initiative in response to the staggering numbers of car-crash related deaths and injuries in developing countries each year. At the launch meeting, close to 100 participants agreed that road crashes pose a serious global threat and adopted as the GRSP磗 main objective the reduction of deaths, injuries, disabilities and associated social and economic costs to societies. The participants who represented governments, industry, and social society groups, including the World Health Organization, the Asian Development Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, also agreed among other things to facilitate the building of local capacity, the transfer of technology and training, and to harness existing resources and identify new ones.

18. According the World Health Organization estimates, road traffic crashes will increase to become the third leading economic burden (from current 9th) worldwide and the 2nd in developing countries by the year 2020. The associated cost to emerging economies is estimated to be nearly 2% of GNP with losses being now several times greater than the total development aid these countries receive each year. According to a study conducted by the Asian-Development Bank, in the Asia-Pacific region alone, over 2 million people died and around 17 million were crippled or injured in road crashes in the last 10 years. It is anticipated that about 3.5 million more will die and an additional 30 million will be injured or crippled in the region in the next 10 years.

19. The United States recommends that the Road Safety Expert Group takes account of these statistics and the work undertaken by the GRSP in order to avoid duplication of efforts and to share the GRSP experience. In addition, the United States proposed to invite representatives from the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank to the next meeting of the Road Safety Expert Group in Hong Kong, China, to make a presentation on the GRSP initiative. Such opportunity will provide for a wide exchange of opinions on approaches to resolving road and crash related fatalities and injuries in the Asia Pacific region. The economies represented at the meeting agreed that such a presentation would be very useful and could support the activities undertaken by the group. The economies further agreed to recommend that the Steering Committee on Safe and Environment-Friendly Transportation Systems endorse extending this invitation.

20. The draft questionnaire about twelve major road transportation safety problems is discussed in the meeting. The revised questionnaire will be circulated to all APEC member economies before 15 May 1999 for seeking comments. Please send comments to Chinese Taipei before 15 June 1999. The final questionnaire will be sent to all APEC member economies before the end of June 1999. All APEC member economies are requested to send their replies to the final questionnaire before 15 August 1999.

21. The replies to the questionnaire for the major problems will be organized and discussed in the 16th TPT-WG meeting in Hong Kong, China.

22. The draft report about the questionnaire of Phase I will be circulated to all APEC member economies for seeking comments and the final report will be discussed in the 16th TPT-WG meeting in Hong Kong, China.

VI. Recommendations

23. Members note the progress of the GRSP and, subject to further consultations, invite representatives of the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank to make a presentation on the initiative at the 16th TPT-WG meeting in Hong Kong, China.

24. Members note to reply the questionnaire for the major problems before 15 August 1999.

25. Members note the progress of the Road Safety Expert Group.

This page was last updated on 12 March, 2008