Event

Road traffic injuries continue to claim approximately 1.19 million lives every year and remain one of the world’s most pressing public health and development challenges. In July 2026, Heads of State and Government, ministers, and other senior representatives gathered at United Nations Headquarters in New York for the UN High-Level Meeting on Improving Global Road Safety. The meeting focused on accelerating progress toward the global target of reducing road traffic deaths and injuries by at least 50 per cent by 2030.

In this seminar, Matts-Åke Belin, Global Lead for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021–2030 at the World Health Organization, will share his reflections and key takeaways from the meeting. Drawing on the discussions in New York, he will provide insights into emerging priorities, future directions for road safety, and the challenge of translating established knowledge into effective and sustained action.

The seminar will examine a central challenge in road safety: although considerable knowledge already exists about the main risks and how they can be controlled, implementation remains slow and uneven. Why is established knowledge not more consistently translated into political decisions, institutional responsibilities, financing, and sustained action? What can research contribute to a better understanding of governance and implementation processes that sit at the intersection of science, professional practice, and long-term institutional change?

The seminar will also consider how technological and mobility developments create both safety opportunities and risks, and why vehicle technology must be understood together with infrastructure, regulation, and the wider transport environment. What do these developments mean for the SAFER community and the broader road safety research ecosystem?

The session offers an opportunity to gain first-hand insights from the High-Level Meeting and to discuss how research can better support the translation of knowledge into sustained action.

Biography

Matts-Åke Belin is the Global Lead for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021–2030 at the World Health Organization. His career combines senior experience in public administration with academic research. Before joining WHO, he was Director of the Vision Zero Academy at the Swedish Transport Administration and served as an Adjunct Professor at KTH Royal Institute of Technology. His work focuses on road safety governance, Vision Zero and the Safe System approach, and the translation of knowledge into policy and sustained implementation.

Practical Information

This seminar is held both at the SAFER office, Lindholmen Innovation District, building Kuggen, Lindholmsplatsen 1 or online (Teams).

• In-person attendance: Lunch will be provided at the SAFER office, starting at 11:30 AM. The seminar will then be held in a hybrid format from 12:00 to 12:45 PM. Registration is required for lunch. Please register for lunch by 12:00 PM September 18.
• Online attendance: No registration is needed. Simply join via the Microsoft Teams link sent to all SAFER partners ahead of the event. The seminar is held in a hybrid format from 12:00 to 12:45 PM.

Questions?: Get in touch with our office manager Sophia Guerra Ekesand: ekesand@chalmers.se

This event is open to all SAFER partners. Welcome!