ISO to Develop Management System Standard for Global Road Safety
February 22, 2008 // Published as a news service by IHS
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The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) approved the creation of a new project committee to develop an international standard for road traffic safety management systems.
ISO/project committee (PC) 241 - Road safety management will bring together stakeholders including representatives from organizations responsible for road traffic infrastructure, public authorities, government departments, the transport sector, manufacturers, emergency services, health services and associations concerned by aspects of road safety (e.g., prevention of accidents, protection of children, care of and rights of accident victims).
According to ISO, the committee's job will be to develop a standard following the generic management system approach pioneered by ISO 9001:2000 for quality management and since applied to other objectives, including ISO 14001 (environmental management) and ISO 28000 (supply chain security).
"… [R]oad crashes kill more than 1.2 million a year, and for every single death, there are 20 to 50 serious injuries. Road traffic injuries also impede economic development, with costs to emerging economies from fatalities and disabling injuries estimated at 1%-2% of GNP [gross national product]," said, Alan Bryden, ISO secretary-general.
"ISO already contributes to many aspects of road safety with more than 200 standards related to this field. The new standard to be developed by ISO/PC 241 will provide a structured, holistic approach to road safety that will complement government and industry programmes and initiatives," Bryden said.
"Backed by international agreement, it will help to fulfill the U.N.'s objective of improving global road safety, e.g., by providing public services and private companies operating fleets of vehicles, including for transportation services, freight and car rentals, with a specific and globally recognized safety management system standard," he said.
The future standard will be applicable to all parties with an influence on road safety, including companies and organizations involved in:
- Designing, building and maintaining roads and streets.
- Designing and producing cars, lorries and other road vehicles, including parts and equipment.
- Transporting goods and people.
- Generating flows of goods and people.
- Having personnel working in road transport systems.
- Responding to road traffic accidents (emergency and first-aid services).
- Rehabilitating accident victims.
Potential users of the standard include transport and haulage companies, rental car companies and local government organizations responsible for the transport of goods and people. ISO said the standard aims to help organizations:
- Improve their performance in relation to road safety.
- Contribute to reducing accidents.
- Better meet regulatory requirements and societal expectations regarding road safety.
- Employ a process approach, including the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle and continual improvement, to set and achieve road safety objectives.
In addition, the standard may provide an internationally harmonized tool for organizations involved in auditing the effectiveness of road safety programmes, analysing accident black spots and providing funding or awarding prizes for road safety.
Source: International Organization for Standardization (ISO).