Skip to main content

Improving vehicle safety in Latin America

Stop the Crash hosted its Latin America Launch recently in Santiago de Chile. This is bringing the global partnership to the region to promote the latest in life saving crash avoidance technologies. Following the global launch of Stop the Crash at the 2nd Global High Level Conference on Road Safety in Brasilia in November 2015, the partnership has been holding a series of events across the globe. These are promoting the importance of active safety systems. The Latin American launch specifically focused on t
June 15, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
Stop the Crash hosted its Latin America Launch recently in Santiago de Chile. This is bringing the global partnership to the region to promote the latest in life saving crash avoidance technologies. Following the global launch of Stop the Crash at the 2nd Global High Level Conference on Road Safety in Brasilia in November 2015, the partnership has been holding a series of events across the globe. These are promoting the importance of active safety systems. The Latin American launch specifically focused on the implementation of Stop the Crash technologies in the region. It took place with support from the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the Chilean Ministry of Transport and Telecommunications. The event featured demonstrations of electronic stability control (ESC), autonomous emergency braking (AEB), anti-lock braking system (ABS) for motorcycles, and tyre safety.

The campaign recently hit a significant milestone with the adoption of a United Nations (UN) Resolution that specifically invited member states to adopt active safety systems as standard. Following the vehicle demonstrations at Stop the Crash, Global New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP) in partnership with ECLAC hosted a Regional High Level Road Safety Seminar on Vehicle Safety. This featured representatives from ECLAC, Automobile Club of Chile (ACCHI), and the FIA Foundation. David Ward, Global NCAP Secretary General and Stop the Crash Partnership Chairman said, “Technologies such as ESC have the potential to save thousands of lives every year in Latin America. Government need to implement UN Vehicle Safety Regulations and get these technologies into new cars sold in the region as soon as possible.”

There is major concern that auto manufacturers are still selling models in Latin America that do not feature the latest safety systems fitted to vehicles sold in the US or Europe. Some firms also persist in selling old models in Latin America that have long since been removed from sale in the US or Europe, and which have poor crash protection performance.

Related Content

  • Advanced automatic braking could reduce accidents
    August 8, 2012
    Sophisticated new automatic braking technology could boost road safety and reduce accident levels. Car manufacturers are poised to make the introduction of Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) technology across a wide array of new models due for launch. Some AEB systems have been fitted to a number of, mostly high-end, models from firms including Audi, Ford, Honda, Jaguar, Lexus, Mercedes, Volvo and VW.
  • The drive for safer roads around the world
    October 1, 2019
    The world’s roads are dangerous places. Around 1.35 million/year are killed in road crashes, according to data collated by the World Health Organization (WHO). Just 28 countries are rated as having adequate laws covering the five biggest risk factors in crashes according to WHO: speed; DUI; helmets; seat belts; child restraints. Europe has the world’s safest roads, with the lowest level of road casualties/year. Around 9.2 people/100,000 of population are killed on Europe’s roads/year on average. Africa m
  • IDB, iRAP extend Latin America work
    February 25, 2025
    The five-year deal was signed during the recent Ten Steps to 2030 for Safer Road Infrastructure Side Event of the recent 4th Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety underway in Marrakech, Morrocco.
  • Future road safety progress may be slow
    March 9, 2018
    Future progress on road safety could be slower than hoped, according to the European Transport Safety Commission (ETSC). It warns that the high profile development of autonomous vehicles could restrain moves to improve road safety around the world. With road deaths killing up to 1.25 million people/year, lowering the casualty rate is seen as a priority. But a much sharper awareness of how to reduce the number of deaths and injuries is required.