Road traffic crashes are a leading cause of death and disability worldwide, causing approximately 1.19 million deaths annually and between 20-50 million non-fatal injuries. International SOS global assistance data from 2021 to 2024 reveals car, bus and truck crashes as the leading cause of road crashes assistance requests, accounting for nearly 38% of all cases. Bicycle crashes (26%) and motorbike or scooter crashes (17%) also remain prevalent road safety concerns. According to the Global Status Report on Road Safety 2023, an estimated 66% of road traffic deaths occur among people aged 18-59 years old², a demographic critical to the global workforce. This data underscores the urgency for organisations to equip their global workforce with the knowledge and skills to navigate roads safely.

International SOS, the world’s leading medical and security services company, has announced the release of its refreshed Road Safety eLearning module. This 10-minute course was designed with combined expertise from International SOS and the Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP), a non-profit organisation hosted by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC), and formed in response to global recognition of road crash deaths and injuries as a human-made health crisis.

The Road Safety eLearning module is designed to equip people with practical advice to stay safe on the roads, including:

• Pre-trip planning essential steps.
• Road risk assessment: understanding and preventing potential hazards.
• Local traffic regulations: researching local road rules and laws.
• Vehicle rental: avoiding pitfalls and ensuring optimal car hire experiences.
• Vehicle safety checks: pre-trip inspections and importance of seat belts
• Route planning and dealing with unforeseen eventualities.
• Incident response: what to do in the event of a crash.

Laurent Fourier, CEO, Health & Security Subscription Services, at International SOS says “We developed this enhanced eLearning module to place road safety at the forefront of every traveller’s mind. Road crashes remain a significant occupational health and safety concern, particularly for travelling employees. The prevalence of road travel often leads to an underestimation of its associated risks. Organisations have a critical role in mitigating these risks by fulfilling their Duty of Care. This includes equipping their workforce with the knowledge and skills necessary for navigating global roads safely. Our goal is to provide organisations and travellers with the tools to prevent incidents and mitigate risks whenever possible. To that end, it has been truly inspiring to see the level of collaboration on this new module with our partners at the GRSP.”

The Road Safety module incorporates knowledge checks throughout the course, as well as an assessment requiring an 80% pass rate. This ensures a thorough understanding of the critical safety principles. The eLearning is available in English, with additional translations into French, German, Italian, Spanish, Korean, Japanese and Simplified Chinese.

Dave Cliff, Chief Executive of the Global Road Safety Partnership, a hosted programme of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red CrescentSocieties (IFRC) comments “The catastrophic number of global road crash deaths and serious injuries, as well as their significant consequences on people and their livelihoods, remains a critical issue.  This collaboration between GRSP and International SOS aims to promote safer road user behaviours. Road safety awareness alone is not enough; we have to make road users safer, by reducing behaviours that both cause and worsen road trauma. One important action that employers can do to keep their people safe is to educate them on the behaviours. For example, slowing down when driving, wearing safety belts in every seat within the vehicle, not consuming alcohol or other drugs before driving and to avoid driving when fatigued. Improving road user behaviour is an essential part of the safe system approach to road safety.

“To improve global road safety, we ask National Societies and their governments to work together on improving all parts of the system. This includes ensuring safe roads and roadsides, safe speeds, safe vehicles, safe road users, and improving the post-crash response.”