Experts Meet To Find Ways to Enhance Road Safety at the Conference of ASEAN Road Safety 2015

 Deputy Transport Minister of Malaysia, YB Datuk Abdul Aziz Kaprawi officially opening CARS2015

As the United Nations’ Decade of Action for Road Safety reaches its mid-point, the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) gathered the region’s top experts to galvanise efforts to enhance road safety at the ASEAN Road Safety 2015 (CARS 2015).

The 4-day Conference of ASEAN Road Safety 2015 (CARS 2015) is the first ever road safety event organised on a regional scale and saw the participation of more than 300 experts, comprising policy makers, scientists, researchers, practitioners, law enforcers, academicians and a wide range of public and private organisations from ASEAN region.

It was being held at the Berjaya Times Square Hotel from the 3rd to the 6th of November 2015.

PRESS RELEASE

CONFERENCE OF ASEAN ROAD SAFETY 2015

Top Experts Meet To Find Ways to Enhance Road Safety in ASEAN

KUALA LUMPUR, 3 NOVEMBER 2015: As the United Nations’ Decade of Action for

Road Safety reaches its mid-point, the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research

(MIROS) gathered the region’s top experts to galvanise efforts to enhance road safety.

The 4-day Conference of ASEAN Road Safety 2015 (CARS 2015) is the first ever road

safety event organised on a regional scale and saw the participation of more than 300

experts, comprising policy makers, scientists, researchers, practitioners, law enforcers,

academicians and a wide range of public and private organisations from ASEAN region.

Held at the Berjaya Times Square Hotel from 3rd to 6

“Road Safety: Addressing the Bottom Billions” to reflect the majority of the region’s

population who are in the middle and lower income categories. The conference decided

to focus on the middle and lower income groups as they are exposed to higher risks of

road trauma because many of them are motorcycle riders, while drivers are less likely to

be able to afford cars packed with safety features.

Recognising that road trauma has an incredible impact on the health and economic

growth of all nations, the United Nations announced 2011 to 2020 as the Decade of

Action for Road Safety with the aim of reducing the number of road accidents globally.

At the start of the decade in 2011, more than 75,000 people died in road crashes in

ASEAN countries and many more sustained long term injuries. In Malaysia, the Royal

Malaysian Police recorded 476,196 cases of road accidents in 2014, with 6,187

Appointed as the ASEAN Road Safety Centre in November 2014, MIROS is taking the

lead to enhance road safety in the region by gathering experts to exchange insights and

findings to improve road safety efforts further.

“While each country has their respective road safety enforcement, advocacy and

research agencies, we believe that by synergising our efforts and knowledge, we can

achieve better results. Efforts to improve road safety is no doubt a priority of all

governments, as traffic accidents can result in damages to vehicles, injuries and loss of

lives,” said Deputy Transport Minister of Malaysia, YB Datuk Abdul Aziz Kaprawi, who

officiated the opening of CARS 2015.

A total of 63 research papers were submitted and discussed at the conference. The

papers revolve around these topics: Road Safety Management, Sustainable

Infrastructure, Vehicle Safety, Road Users, Pre and Post-crash Trauma, Safety

Technology, and a special topic on Motorcycle Safety. At the end of CARS 2015, some

of the outstanding papers will be published in the Journal of Transportation Safety and

Security on “Road Safety in Developing Countries”.

“We will use CARS 2015 as a launch pad to establish a regional network of road safety

experts. This synergy will allow for continuous cooperation and alignment of road safety

efforts across the region,” said MIROS Director-General Professor Dr. Wong Shaw

About Conference of ASEAN Road Safety 2015 (CARS2015)

The inaugural Conference of ASEAN Road Safety 2015 (CARS2015) (was previously

branded as ARSC2015) aims to bring together policy makers, scientists, researchers,

practitioners, law enforcers, academicians and a wide range of public and private

organizations from the region, with an interest in the future of road safety. The

conference will be held in Kuala Lumpur, the federal capital of Malaysia, on 3 - 6

November 2015. It will be a premier platform for bringing together the key players in

road safety within the Southeast Asia region as well as in the Asia Pacific region.

About Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS)

The Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) was established in 2007 as

an agency under the Ministry on Transport Malaysia (MOT) to serve as a central

repository of knowledge and information on road safety. The findings derived from

research and evidence-based intervention programmes provide the basis for the

formulation of new strategies, legislations, policies, and enforcement measures,

governing road safety at the national level. Principally engaged in research, MIROS

collaborates closely with local and international government agencies and private bodies

to further the cause of road safety, serving as a one-stop centre for the generation and

dissemination of road safety information and data.

About ASEAN Road Safety Centre

The proposal for ASEAN Road Safety Centre (ARSC) was presented on 14 May 2013 at

the 4th Meeting of ASEAN Multisector Road Safety Special Working Group (MRSSWG)

by MIROS. The Meeting noted that the proposed Centre will aim to provide knowledge

about the situation concerning road safety in ASEAN Member States which include

information on the following: traffic laws and regulations, road accident data, road

transport data, vehicle regulations concerning standard and inspections, driver training

and driver testing, traffic police activities, road safety training in schools, road safety

information/campaigns to the community.

Subsequently the 20th ASEAN Transport Ministers Meeting (ATM) on 27 November

2014 in Mandalay, Myanmar welcomed the appointment of Malaysian Institute of Road

Safety Research (MIROS) as the ASEAN Regional Road Safety Centre. The aims of this

centre are to promote and provide knowledge on road safety issues among ASEAN

Member States.