Colombia

Situation

Colombia

Pedestrians and motorcycle riders bear the highest incidence of injury and fatality in Colombia, with vulnerable road users accounting for over 75%* of all road traffic deaths every year. Although the country has adopted a policy to separate and protect these road users, inadequate infrastructure and poor road behaviour are considered to be contributing factors to the increasing number of risks present on Colombian roads.

The country has implemented a series of best practice road safety measures, including national speed limits and legislation on the use of mobile phones while driving. National motorcycle helmet laws are also applicable to both drivers and passengers, with a marked increase of passenger helmut use – from 40% in 2013 to 76% in 2015.*

Projects in Colombia commenced in 2015 as part of the Bloomberg Philanthropies ‘Initiative for Global Road Safety’ 2015-2019, supporting the country’s aim to achieve a 50% reduction in fatalities by 2020.

(*WHO 2015)

GRSP activities | National laws | National crash data | National news | Global crash data map

GRSP activities

Activities

Capacity building:
GRSP has worked with the different road safety agencies in Bogota to align objectives and to streamline work practices and data use.

Road policing:
Strengthening road policing in Bogota to strategically enforce drink drive laws and correct helmet wearing.

Programmes

Road Safety Grants Programme

The grants programme supports projects to develop and deliver high-impact, evidence-based interventions designed to strengthen road safety policies and their implementation.

Bloomberg Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS)

The programme works with countries at the national level to strengthen road safety legislation, and with cities at the city level to implement proven road safety interventions.

Road user groups

Pedestrians

With more than 270 000 pedestrians killed on roads each year, they account to almost a quarter of all road traffic casualties annually. Certain roads, especially in low and middle income countries, completely fail to separate road users from the rest of the road users, which put them in imminent danger.

Powered 2 & 3 Wheelers

Motorcyclists are just 1% of total road traffic, but account for 19% of all road user deaths. This is a clear sign that there is a huge problem and that correct interventions would greatly reduce the road traffic fatalities. GRSP is heavily involved in advocating better helmet wearing legislations and is helping enforcement agencies be more effective with this road use group.