OSCE Centre helps Kazakhstan improve road safety

ALMATY, 11 May 2007 - Raising awareness on road safety in Kazakhstan and promoting best practices in this field was the aim of a meeting held today in Astana. The event was organized jointly by the OSCE Centre in Almaty and the Interior Ministry.

"The main objective of the OSCE is to promote stability and security, which includes safety for individuals. Road safety affects everyone," said Ambassador Ivar Vikki, Head of the OSCE Centre. "Increasing safety on the roads is a challenge that every country has to face. It requires co-operation and awareness among all members of the community."

Policy enforcement and technical regulations were a special focus of the discussions, in which 50 representatives from ministries and state agencies, regional authorities and non-governmental organizations took part. Road safety experts from the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, France, Spain and the United Kingdom presented best practices.

Official statistics show that during 2006, there were more than 16,000 road accidents in Kazakhstan - a 10 per cent increase compared to the previous year. Children were involved in almost 15 per cent of the cases. Observers noted that poor driver education and the lack of road discipline and road safety education as the main reasons for the increase.

Participants at the meeting developed a set of recommendations to develop and implement road safety policies in Kazakhstan. They also identified the needs for further legislative and technical assistance.