The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted all plans, although the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of Agenda 2030 can be the compass that guides the world in the new normal, with a fundamental goal of road safety and the reduction of victims of traffic incidents.
What is Agenda 2030?
On September 25, 2015, the world made the decision to eliminate poverty and inequality and to face social, environmental, and demographic challenges. With that objective, the United Nations General Assembly approved Agenda 2030 and 193 countries, including Spain, signed the agreement. Thus began a period of 15 years to achieve the 17 SDGs, developed in 169 goals.
The Government of Spain points out that Agenda 2030 “is an action plan in favour of people, the planet and prosperity” that does not want to “leave anyone behind”. To do this, it proposes a structural reform of the economic model and actions in areas such as education, employment, innovation, health, welfare and social justice, gender equality, integration of diversity and sustainability of production and consumption models.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a public health emergency and a triple crisis (economic, social, and humanitarian). In this scenario, Agenda 2030 can be the compass that guides the world. According to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, “the Sustainable Development Goals, backed by human rights, provide the framework for more inclusive and sustainable economies and societies.”
More than 190 countries have committed to the Agenda 2030 and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and so the question must be whether the COVID-19 pandemic will change the terms of Agenda 2030. At the moment, everything indicates that this will not be the case, and that the vision of Agenda 2030 will remain intact, without changing a comma. In fact, all indicators suggest that the pandemic has “reinforced” the goal, according to Álvaro Gómez, director of the DGT’s National Observatory of Road Safety, because the pandemic “has shown that what is aimed for in Agenda 2030 is more necessary than ever.”
The experts who advised in the preparation of the 3rd World Ministerial Conference on Road Safety, held in February in Stockholm, pointed out as an especially important achievement that the reduction of road victims was included “explicitly” in the SDGs.
Pilar del Real, head of the Strategic Intervention Area of the DGT National Road Safety Observatory, agrees on this: “We know how important road safety is, but it is very good that it has been recognised.” And it underlines that we are facing “an opportunity” because “road safety is a necessity for health, climate, equity and prosperity”.
Goal 3.6
Although practically all the DGT’s actions are directly or indirectly related to Agenda 2030, SDG 3 is the most binding: “Guarantee healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages”. More specifically, target 3.6, which aims to halve deaths and injuries caused by traffic incidents in the world. To do this, actions and means are articulated to monitor compliance with the norm and to reduce risks at the wheel (speed, distractions, wearing a helmet and seat belt and not consuming drugs and / or alcohol). It is about developing policies for sustainable and safe mobility.
Del Real points out that work in goal 3.6 “allows other policies to be helped, such as improving labour aspects or training for young people; On the contrary, there are other policies that are not directly related to road safety, but do benefit Goal 3.6, such as issues related to the environment or the improvement of health systems. It is a ‘win-win’ in which we all benefit.”
The ODS 4 urged to ensure a just, equitable, inclusive education that promotes equality and equal opportunities. To reduce road casualties, road training and education are a decisive factor. For this reason, the tests to obtain a driving licence (the new driving assistance systems, ADAS), driving courses for drivers who already have a licence, specific road safety courses for professionals and activities have been improved, as well as awareness and road safety education ( such as safe school road or STARS Project).