3.1 Introduction

Road safety management is the first and fundamental pillar of the Decade of Action’s Global Plan (UNRSC, 2011) and the Global status report on road safety 2015 (WHO, 2015) and remains critical for successful implementation of the Global Plan for 2021-2030 (UNRSC, 2021). The Decade of Action and the Global Plan emphasise that improving road safety performance requires a systematic and planned approach. Establishing an effective road safety management system is the means by which countries and organisations can achieve this.

This chapter serves as a brief introduction to the key elements of effective road safety management system frameworks and new tools. The aim is to outline the general scope of understanding of the road safety management task to provide background and context for more specific guidance that follows throughout this manual.

The chapter highlights the importance of institutional management at all levels to provide the foundation for successful road safety intervention and sustainable results. It emphasises the overarching importance of governmental leadership at the country level and top management leadership of road safety in organisations. New tools are presented which are designed to help countries and organisations develop or improve their road safety management systems. Practical next steps which countries can take towards these ends are briefly outlined and are developed further in subsequent chapters.