Global Road Safety Partnership and Laura Villars Fondation Join Forces to Advance Youth Road Safety
Geneva, Switzerland | 9 November, 2026
The Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) and the Laura Villars Fondation have announced a new strategic partnership aimed at strengthening road safety initiatives for young people and reducing the devastating impact of road traffic crashes on youth around the world.
Young people remain disproportionately affected by road traffic injuries, which are among the leading causes of death for those aged 15 to 29 globally. Through this collaboration, GRSP and the Laura Villars Fondation will work together to accelerate evidence-based road safety interventions, empower young leaders, and support programmes that create safer roads and safer mobility for future generations.
The partnership brings together GRSP’s extensive global expertise in road safety capacity building, policy advocacy, and multi-sector collaboration with the Laura Villars Fondation’s commitment to improving the wellbeing and opportunities of young people. Together, the organizations will explore opportunities to support innovative projects, strengthen local road safety ecosystems, and amplify youth voices in road safety decision-making.
“Road crashes continue to rob millions of young people of their potential every year,” said Michael Chippendale, GRSP’s Manager of External Relations and Sustainable Mobility Programming. “By partnering with the Laura Villars Fondation, we can combine our strengths and resources to help create safer environments for young road users and support the next generation of road safety leaders. This partnership reflects our shared commitment to ensuring that young people can travel safely, access education and employment opportunities, and thrive in their communities.”.
The collaboration will focus on identifying and supporting initiatives that address key risk factors affecting young road users, including speeding, impaired driving, distracted road use, and inadequate infrastructure. The partners will also seek opportunities to promote road safety education and youth engagement as essential components of sustainable development.
“As a racing driver, I know that speed belongs on the track, never on the road. Protecting young lives is at the heart of our mission,” said Laura Villars, Founder and President of the Laura Villars Fondation. “Through this partnership with GRSP, we aim to contribute to meaningful and lasting improvements in road safety for young people. By investing in prevention, education, and leadership, we can help ensure that fewer families experience the tragedy of road traffic crashes and that more young people can reach their full potential.”.
This partnership reinforces the commitment of both organizations to supporting the goals of the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 and advancing efforts to halve global road traffic deaths and injuries. By working together, GRSP and the Laura Villars Fondation will help build a safer future where young people can move, learn, and grow without the burden of preventable road traffic harm.
About the Laura Villars Fondation
The Laura Villars Fondation is a Swiss public-interest foundation based in Chavannes-près-Renens, near Lausanne, founded in 2026 by Swiss GT racing driver and Formula 1 commentator Laura Villars. Its work rests on four pillars: talent development through sport, road safety education, mobility innovation and athlete welfare. Through its campaign “The Road Is Not a Racetrack” (“La route n’est pas un circuit”), the Foundation draws on the credibility of motorsport to raise young people’s awareness of road risks. www.fondationvillars.org
About the Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP)
The Global Road Safety Partnership is a hosted programme of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) that brings together governments, businesses, civil society organizations and road safety experts to deliver evidence-based road safety interventions worldwide.
