20mph and road safety strategy as building blocks for safer, more active, more cohesive and healthier communities
Road traffic injures are a leading cause of death and disability worldwide, with around 1.3 million people killed and as many as 50 million people injured each year. For people aged 5-29 years, there is no greater threat to their lives. Globally, 1 of every 4 deaths occur among pedestrians and cyclists.
WHO, in collaboration with partners, organizes periodic UN Global Road Safety Weeks. This 7th edition focuses on sustainable transport, in particular the need to shift to walking, cycling and using public transport. Road safety is both a prerequisite for and an outcome of this shift.
Our partners in Welsh Government and the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) will mark UN Global Road Safety Week with a talk on the 20mph limit and broader road safety strategy as building blocks for safer, more active, more cohesive and healthier communities.
Ian Bradfield
Ian Bradfield – Principal Policy Lead – Roads, Welsh Government
Ian is a Chartered Engineer with a Master’s degree in Highway Engineering. He has worked in highways and transportation for nearly 40 years. His current role is as the Principal Policy Lead for Roads and Road Safety for Welsh Government, developing and implementing roads policies on behalf of Welsh Ministers, such as the national default 20 mph speed limit, pavement parking and a new road safety strategy for Wales. Outside work he actively promotes the engineering profession and between 2002-2004 was the president of the Institute of Highway Engineers.
Kaarina Ruta – Transport Assistant – Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA)
Kaarina started working for the Welsh Local Government Association as a Transport Assistant in June 2021, prior to which she taught undergraduate students in Law and Politics at Cardiff University. In her current role, Kaarina works closely with Welsh Government, Transport for Wales and Local Authorities. She is currently working on the delivery of the national 20mph default on restricted roads in Wales, introducing legislation on pavement parking and delivering a new road safety strategy for Wales. She sits on the Active Travel Board and Cross-Party Group on the Active Travel Act. She is a keen runner and cyclist, flamenco dancer and lover of the great outdoors.