Speaking at the UN Road Safety Leadership Roundtable, which took place at the International Peace Institute in New York on the sidelines of the High-Level Meeting on Road Safety, FIFA President Gianni Infantino called for stronger global action to improve road safety. Addressing participants via a recorded video message, the FIFA President underlined that road safety is a shared responsibility involving all members of society, including road users who make everyday journeys and those who travel to and from football matches. “Road safety concerns us all,” he said. “We are more than halfway through the Decade of Action for Road Safety and, though the general trend is positive, we clearly need to speed up our progress while convincing drivers to slow down theirs.”

The gathering – convened by the United Nations Special Envoy for Road Safety and moderated by International Peace Institute President Dr Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein – brought together representatives from governments, international organisations, civil society and the private sector with a view to accelerating the implementation of the global road safety agenda. Road crashes continue to be a silent pandemic, claiming 1.19 million lives and causing 50 million injuries globally each year.

Reflecting on the scale of the challenge, Infantino noted that road traffic collisions continue to claim an unacceptable number of lives each year, devastating families and communities globally. The FIFA President paid tribute to the work of the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety, Jean Todt, praising his enduring commitment to making roads safer worldwide. “I know all about Jean Todt’s passion for motor sport, football and making our roads safe, which are passions I share,” Infantino stated.

Highlighting football’s ability to reach people across cultures and generations, the FIFA President reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to supporting global road safety efforts through education. He pointed to FIFA’s long-standing collaboration with the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile and the incorporation of road safety content into the FIFA Football for Schools Programme, helping young people develop safe behaviours from an early age.

“Education starts young,” Infantino commented. “That is when patterns of behaviour and attitudes can be shaped for the benefit of the individual and society.” Concluding his address, the FIFA President underscored the institution’s commitment to joining forces with international partners to help save lives through the universal appeal of the global game. “FIFA will continue working with you all and harness football’s unique ability to transmit messages across generations, as well as making the world a better place and our roads so much safer,” he declared.