Road Safety

The National Road Safety Observatory
An initiative by JUSTICIA in collaboration with the National Road Safety Council

Overview

Reliable data on road safety and traffic incidents is critical for understanding the true scope of road-related challenges, evaluating the economic costs of crashes, and designing cost-effective interventions.

In response to this need, JUSTICIA launched the National Road Safety Observatory—a dynamic platform that brings together representatives from the private sector and key stakeholders. The Observatory fosters the exchange of road safety data, practices, and experiences to reduce traffic-related injuries and fatalities across Lebanon and the Arab region.

Inspired by the success of regional observatories in benchmark countries such as Sweden and the Netherlands, this initiative is paving the way toward a safer future for the MENA region.

Objectives

The primary objective of the National Road Safety Observatory is to produce reliable, comparable data and conduct in-depth analyses on road crashes, safety practices, and policies in Lebanon. The Observatory’s key outputs will include statistical reports accessible to both professionals and the public, serving as a foundation for informed interventions.

The initiative aims to address the current data and policy gaps through:

  1. Tracking progress in reducing fatalities and serious injuries on Lebanese roads.

  2. Identifying and analyzing critical road safety issues.

  3. Developing and evaluating national-level road safety interventions.

  4. Facilitating information sharing and collaboration with other countries and relevant institutions.

Strategic Goals

In the medium and long term, the Observatory seeks to:

  1. Elevate road safety on political and policy agendas.

  2. Reinforce road safety as a human right, as stated in the New Delhi (2000) and Montreal (2002) Declarations.

  3. Strengthen the role of legislation in influencing behavior and building legal frameworks.

  4. Create incentive mechanisms to encourage improved road safety performance.

  5. Support Lebanon in enhancing its road safety data in line with WHO monitoring standards.

  6. Build upon and improve existing experiences and practices.

  7. Harmonize variable definitions and data collection methodologies to improve monitoring and reporting.

  8. Advocate for the rights of road safety victims—including medical care, compensation, and impartial investigation.

  9. Emphasize the enforcement of the current traffic law before pursuing amendments, especially since none of the eight key reforms have yet been implemented.

  10. Redirect road safety-related revenues (such as fines and inspection fees) toward road infrastructure improvements.

  11. Serve as a collaborative platform for data exchange among all relevant stakeholders.

JUSTICIA’s Services

Through the Observatory, JUSTICIA offers a range of specialized services to support road safety reform:

  1. Providing consultation to NGOs and private institutions on the design and implementation of road safety policies and action plans.

  2. Developing legal and institutional frameworks for road safety, including strategies to achieve ISO 39001 and efficient fleet management.

  3. Advocating for improved leadership and coordination in national road safety strategies.

  4. Building institutional capacity in alignment with the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety 2030.