VZCZCXRO8193
RR RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHHM RUEHKUK RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD RUEHROV
DE RUEHEG #1448/01 1370944
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 170944Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY CAIRO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5227
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
RULSDMK/DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CAIRO 001448 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ELA, OES FOR CARTER-FOSTER, ECA FOR GOMEZ 
AMMAN FOR WHITTLESEY 
USAID/ANE/TS FOR CAVITT AND CAPACCI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON ELTN AID UNGA WHO EG
SUBJECT: EGYPTIAN GOVERNMENT AND CIVIL SOCIETY PROMOTE 
GLOBAL ROAD SAFETY WEEK 
 
REF: A. A) STATE 15184 
     ¶B. B) CAIRO 709 
 
¶1. Summary.  Government of Egypt and civil society 
representatives hosted two successful events in recognition 
of the first United Nations Global Road Safety Week, April 
23-29.   Several hundred participants attended events at the 
World Health Organization's regional office on April 22, and 
an exhibition at the Ministry of Transportation (MOT) on 
April 23, focusing on the theme of young road users.  Embassy 
Cairo continues to engage with the GOE and other players on 
traffic safety issues via USAID assistance and other 
technical assistance programs.  End summary. 
 
-------------------------------------------- 
WHO AND MOT EVENTS AIMED AT YOUNG ROAD USERS 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. The World Health Organization in Cairo, based out of its 
Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office, hosted an event on 
April 22 in honor of  United National Global Road Safety 
Week, April 23-29  (ref A).  The event, organized in 
conjunction with civil society and private sector partners, 
including participation from the Ministries of Health, 
Education, and Transportation, focused on "Young Road Users." 
 Road accidents are the leading cause of death for people 
aged 10 to 24.  Several hundred young participants from the 
Arab Scouts, and local schools and universities heard traffic 
safety messages from UN and health officials.  Popular 
Egyptian stars and UN Goodwill Ambassadors Yousra and Khalid 
Abou Naga, in addition to Egyptian road rally champion Abd 
Al-Hamid Abou Yousef, brought added media attention to the 
event. 
 
¶3. On April 23, officials from the MOT's General Authority 
for Roads, Bridges, and Land Transportation (GARBLT) hosted 
an exhibition showcasing various public and private sector 
initiatives on traffic safety.  Exhibitors included British 
Gas, Shell, Exxon Mobil, the Safe Road Society, and local 
rotary clubs.  A representative from the reform-minded GARBLT 
recently told Econoff they are now soliciting bids to 
overhaul the notoriously dangerous Cairo-Alexandria desert 
road, which should be completed by 2010 (ref B). 
 
------------------- 
SOBERING STATISTICS 
------------------- 
 
¶4. While MOT figures estimate 6000 people are killed and 
30,000 are injured on Egyptian roads annually, the second 
highest cause of death after heart disease according to the 
GOE, WHO experts say the real figures are likely much higher. 
 Worldwide, traffic accidents are the primary cause of 
hospitalization for people aged 15-40.  In addition to the 
high toll on human life, road accidents also put a strain on 
the economy.  WHO estimates road accidents cost Egypt between 
USD 520 and USD 1 billion annually, significantly higher than 
other countries in the region. 
 
------------------------------------------ 
EMBASSY INVOLVEMENT IN TRAFFIC INITIATIVES 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶5.  In addition to serving on a national multi-sectoral 
committee to plan events for Global Road Safety Week, post 
has been involved in a number of initiatives to encourage a 
culture of safe driving.  The USAID supported children's 
television show "Alam Sim Sim" or "Sesame Street", which 
began airing on Egyptian television in August 2000, 
incorporated a traffic safety component into its programming. 
 The show's programmers' trained 42,000 caregivers and 
mothers on traffic safety via their Parental Outreach 
Program.  In 2006, USAID provided funding to the Safe Road 
Society, the only local traffic safety NGO, to create a 
traffic safety website,  CD of games for youth, and a public 
awareness campaign. 
 
¶6.  Embassy Cairo also planned and sponsored two trips in 
2006 to Egypt for traffic safety expert Rochelle Sobel, 
founder of the Association for Safe International Road Travel 
(ASIRT).  In February 2006, Sobel spoke at a road management 
conference in Cairo, and engaged with local rotary groups, 
encouraging them to pursue traffic safety projects.   She 
returned in September 2006, to inaugurate the Nasr City 
rotary club's projects: traffic safety awareness camps for 
 
CAIRO 00001448  002 OF 002 
 
 
youth and the installation of black boxes into several school 
and tourist buses. 
 
¶7.  Post also suggested the creation of a new International 
Visitor Leadership Program category for 2008 on traffic 
safety.  Two engineers from the Ministry of Transportation 
have been nominated to participate in a proposed program 
which will include learning about the engineering aspects of 
traffic safety.  We will continue to engage with GOE, civil 
society, and private sector partners on traffic safety. 
RICCIARDONE