For the past fifty decades, the United Nations has been monitoring road structures and road practices in various countries around the world under the Good Roads Exercise Program. Under this program, various road-related policies, rules, strategies, plans and goals have also been formulated. If we look at the road accidents in Nepal after 2000, we can see that the number of dead and injured is increasing rapidly. Along with democratic practices, Nepal's transport business and traffic congestion have increased significantly, and even before it goes out of control, Nepal needs to take concrete steps and adopt a safety policy to improve road safety.

 

In order to develop and implement the road safety measurement system in a sustainable manner, the practice of road improvement policy needs to be promoted at the national level. Following these policies, the United Nations has developed these five safety pillars to formulate road strategies, plans and goals.

• Pillar 1: Road safety management
• Pillar 2: Safe roads and mobility
• Pillar 3: Safe vehicles
• Pillar 4: Safe road users
• Pillar 5: Post-accident response

 Pillar 1: Road safety management

 

Nepal needs to set up a major agency for creating a multi-sectorial partnership for national road safety. Under the guidance of such multi-sectorial partner, adequate funding investment and infrastructure development are critical in sustainably implementing these national road safety exercises. To ensure the accumulation and distribution of crash data, the access and capacity of the regional level agency should be developed. In addition, road strategies, plans and goals need to be distributed in a national effort to develop and promote a road safety measurement system in compliance with UN legal instruments.

 

Pillar 2: Safe roads and mobility

 

Nepal should also focus on developing safe and quality road network in the interest of road users, especially the weakest users. By focusing on the safety of pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists inherent in the road network, it is important to focus on capacity building, knowledge transfer, and increasing accountability by investing in improved safety infrastructure and safety equipment, road development, land use, and develop integrated transportation system.

 

Pillar 3: Safe Vehicle

 

Nepal also needs to develop and implement consumer-centric new / old vehicle safety assessment standards and adopt the United Nations standards of improved safety technology. It is necessary to focus on the development and promotion safety standard system and introduce them through Fiscal policy and define the meaning of safety-focused high-quality vehicles and promote the use, imports and production of safety-focused high-quality public and private vehicles. The development and promotion of such systems facilitates the formulation, development and implementation of road strategies, plans and goals. In addition, accounting for errors in implementation facilitates the development of safe transportation policies and programs at the national level.

 

Pillar 4: Safe road users

With the objective of changing the behavior of Nepali road users, joint social campaign programs should be developed to increase awareness among riders for the prescribed speed limits for driving, alcohol consumption, use of seat belts and safety helmets. Evidence-based criteria and regulations must be complied and executed to discourage such activities and improve the driver behavior. It is necessary to formulate and implement road health and safety laws by establishing a graduate driver's licensing system for safe operation of commercial freight and passenger services and to discourage novice drivers.

 

Pillar 5: Post-crash care

The Government of Nepal needs to focus on improving post-emergency rehabilitation services of drivers and distributing improved rehabilitation services as soon as possible. Emphasis should be placed on road user insurance plans for emergency treatment, trauma care and timely rehabilitation for accident victims. The government of Nepal must also emphasize on full accident investigation and victim compensation process, and provide incentives for employment for disabled accident victims.