From Learning to Leadership: Strengthening Road Safety Across Asia-Pacific

The SM4A4L Asia-Pacific edition resulted in the design of 17 road safety projects, reflecting the different needs and contexts of Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. The projects presented were co-designed by FIA Member Clubs, government authorities and partner institutions. 

The projects covered a broad range of priorities. Several focused on protecting children and young people, including safer school zones, data-driven road safety education, motorcycle safety, youth advocacy and improved support for learner drivers.

Others addressed vulnerable road users through safer pedestrian crossings, inclusive mobility for children with disabilities and safer mobility for ageing drivers.

Professional and commercial road transport also featured strongly. Proposed actions included annual refresher training for public transport drivers, competency-based heavy-vehicle training, simulator-based driver education and the integration of road safety into corporate transport management.

Technology and data were central to several projects. These included artificial intelligence to identify non-standard motorcycle helmets, a central road crash database, sensor-based analysis of school commuting behaviour and research into public understanding of supervised driving systems.

Infrastructure-related project proposals included the application of road safety Star Rating methods, safer school mobility planning and improvements to high-risk pedestrian crossing locations. Vehicle safety initiatives also addressed child restraint legislation and the responsible use of emerging vehicle technologies. 

The project showcase sessions gave teams the opportunity to present their proposals to peers, mentors and international experts. The exchange encouraged constructive feedback and allowed participants to identify similarities across countries, learn from different approaches and explore opportunities for future regional cooperation.