[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 85 (Monday, May 17, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E529]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    IN RECOGNITION OF THE 6TH UNITED NATIONS GLOBAL ROAD SAFETY WEEK

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                          HON. RICHARD HUDSON

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, May 17, 2021

  Mr. HUDSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today as co-chair of the Global 
Road Safety Caucus to mark the 6th United Nations Global Road Safety 
Week, which begins today.
  In September 2020, the United Nations passed a resolution declaring 
the years 2021 through 2030 a new Decade of Action for Road Safety. 
Additionally, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3.6 
includes a call to address the personal, medical, and financial burdens 
associated with road traffic deaths and injuries.
  The number of deaths on the world's roads remains unacceptably high, 
with an estimated 1.35 million people dying each year. But this is not 
just an issue in other countries. The National Safety Council (NSC) 
says deaths from motor vehicles rose 8 percent last year in the United 
States, with as many as 42,060 Americans dying in vehicle crashes. Also 
according to the State Department, road crash deaths are the single 
greatest cause of death for Americans traveling abroad.
  As the Congress and the Biden administration consider investing in 
infrastructure, we must ensure these investments promote safety 
practices through a safe-systems approach and improve our roads and 
other infrastructure in ways that protect people and families. And as 
Americans begin traveling domestically and internationally again as we 
emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic, we should be cognizant of the many 
risk factors, including increased speed, that significantly increase 
the probability of death or injury.
  By recognizing Global Road Safety Week and the 2nd Decade of Action 
for Road Safety, together we can make a difference in stemming the tide 
of the road crash epidemic in the United States and around the world. 
Ultimately, we should do everything in our power to protect the lives 
of all road users, and I hope to work with my colleagues on both sides 
of the aisle to do that.

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