In a significant advance towards regional cooperation, the Spanish Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, has announced the approval of the ‘Madrid Declaration’ during the XII General Assembly of the Ibero-American Road Safety Observatory (OISEVI).
This agreement, which brings together the heads of transit and road safety agencies from 22 Ibero-American countries, aims to reduce road traffic fatalities, which claim more than 90,000 lives annually in the region. Grande-Marlaska emphasized the importance of road safety as an essential element for sustainable development, stressing that the protection of life must be the guiding principle of public policies.
The ‘Madrid Declaration’ not only establishes a framework for cooperation but also validates the Ibero-American Strategic Framework for Safe Mobility 2030 and the new Ibero-American Safe Mobility Index (IMSS). The latter aims to reinforce the role of civil society in promoting road safety policies and encourage governments to intensify their efforts to reduce fatalities. The agreement also includes the creation of networks to assist victims of traffic accidents and the harmonization of traffic rules and driving permits.
Andrés Allamand, Ibero-American Secretary General, emphasized the need to act in response to the growing number of victims, particularly among young people. The declaration advocates for the creation of a legislative framework that allows for the harmonization of licenses and rules associated with risk factors such as speed and alcohol consumption. This approach seeks not only to facilitate safe mobility in the region but also to generate social consensus on the importance of complying with traffic regulations.