Policy implications for Road Safety: An Experience from Iran

Proclaiming the second Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 with the ambitious target of preventing at least 50% of road traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2030, in continuation of the first UN call for the Decade of Action on Road Safety (2010-2020) encouraged countries to intensify national, regional and international collaboration, with a view to meeting the ambitious road safety-related targets. In this regard, Iran has implemented the national road safety strategy and action plan under the supervision of the road safety commission as the lead agency in which the MOHME is one of the members. Moreover, as the main burden of road traffic injuries is on the health sector, to ensure universal access to health care services in the pre-hospital, hospital, post-hospital, and rehabilitation centers for road traffic victims and families, the road traffic injuries sub-committee affiliated with the Iranian Non-Communicable Diseases Committee (INCDC), developed the National Service Framework for Road Traffic Injuries through a multi-sectoral mechanism. The aim of this paper is to share Iran’s experience in terms of policy implications for RTI prevention and control. Sharing the lessons learned on the role of the health sector in meeting the ambitious road safety targets will help other countries to strengthen political commitment to road safety and move toward setting regional and global road traffic casualty reduction targets.