Innovative Programs to Raise Road User Awareness in Puerto Rico Supporting the Decade of Action for Road Safety

ABSTRACTThe Governor of Puerto Rico signed in 2011 a Proclamation supporting the Decade of Action for Road Safety: 2011-2020 in conjunction with a worldwide initiative approved by the United Nations General Assembly aimed to establish action plans to reduce the alarming 1.3 million fatalities and the 50 million major injuries and disability related crashes. This timely proclamation calls attention to the existing alarming traffic collisions in the Puerto Rico's 26,866 centerline-km highway network. In this paper, innovative programs that have been demonstrated to be successful in Puerto Rico during the first two years of the Decade of Action for Road Safety are presented along with their impacts on raising awareness regarding crash prevention and reducing fatalities in the existing highway network. Testimonies from road user victims, victimizer, leaders and administrators of profit and nonprofit organizations are noted for assessing the program. A future five-year action plan for raising road user awareness is also prepared to address the governor's proclamation for improving traffic safety.