SANTO DOMINGO – The Dominican Republic is set to welcome a high-profile global advocate for road safety next month, as Jean Todt, the United Nations Special Envoy for Road Safety, prepares for an official four-day visit from July 22 to 25. The visit is designed to deepen collaborative efforts between the UN and Dominican national stakeholders, while accelerating the adoption of evidence-based measures to reverse the country’s burden of preventable traffic crashes.
Todt’s packed agenda includes a series of strategic meetings with top national leaders, starting with President Luis Abinader. He will also hold discussions with senior government transportation and public safety officials, representatives from the private sector, leading media figures, and youth community leaders. These talks are focused on aligning stakeholder priorities, refining national road safety public policy, and advancing locally rooted road safety initiatives that fit the Dominican Republic’s unique mobility landscape.
A centerpiece of the visit will be the official national launch of the UN’s groundbreaking “Voices for Road Safety” public awareness campaign. The initiative is being rolled out in coordination with three local partners: the Dominican Republic’s National Institute of Transit and Land Transport (Intrant), global out-of-home advertising firm JCDecaux, and the organizing committee for the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games, which will be hosted in Santo Domingo.
The campaign targets all road users – from passenger vehicle drivers and motorcyclists to cyclists and pedestrians – by encouraging consistent adoption of life-saving safe behaviors. Core messaging promotes strict adherence to posted speed limits, universal use of seat belts for vehicle occupants and helmets for motorcyclists, and urges road users to avoid driving under the influence of alcohol or while distracted by mobile devices. Already, the campaign has been deployed in more than 50 countries around the world, forming a key part of the UN’s global Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030. This global commitment has a clear, ambitious target: to cut the global number of annual road traffic deaths and serious injuries in half by 2030.