Issue 44 – November 2012
ISO has just published ISO 39001, a management system Standard for road traffic safety. ISO 39001:2012 Road traffic safety (RTS) management systems – Requirements with guidance for use is a practical tool for governments, vehicle fleet operators, and all organisations worldwide who want to reduce death and serious injury due to road accidents. ISO 39001 provides them with state-of-the-art requirements for safety aspects including speed, vehicle condition, and driver awareness.
The new Standard lays down harmonised requirements, based on international expertise and applicable to all countries, to support all public or private sector organisations involved in regulating, designing, or operating road transport. It will also help by providing a framework for contracts and communication between regulators, vehicle manufacturers, and their suppliers.
ISO 39001 will be useful for organisations involved in road-safety related activities as varied as auditing the effectiveness of road safety programmes, such as for analysing 'black spots', or providing funding or awarding prizes for road safety.
ISO 39001 is widely regarded as a major contribution to the United Nations' Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020.
Claes Tingvall, Chair of the ISO technical committee (TC) 241, Road traffic safety management systems, that developed the Standard, points out: 'Road accidents account for some 1.3 million fatalities each year. The number of people killed is on the increase, particularly in low and middle-income countries. It is crucial that governments commit to implementing a series of specific and attainable actions, including the setting of ambitious road casualty reduction targets. The sharing of know-how and experience is also needed.
'ISO 39001 will assist governmental and private sector organisations alike by providing a structured, holistic approach to road-traffic safety as a complement to existing programmes and regulations. It is based on the process approach, proven by successful ISO Standards such as ISO 9001 Quality management systems – Requirements, including the plan-do-check-act cycle, and a requirement for continual improvement.'
Peter Hartzell, Secretary of ISO/TC 241, says, 'ISO 39001 has been developed with the support of experts from 40 countries and 16 liaison organisations, including the World Health Organization, the World Bank, and the International Road Federation. The committee will continue its work by following the global implementation of ISO 39001 and by providing awareness of lessons learnt from case studies.'
Summarised from an ISO media release, 9 October 2012.
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