UN resolution recognises motorcycle safety

This one's taken a while to come see the light of day, as the United Nations (UN) was first founded in 1945.

But it's now happened, and the international organisation has produced a four-page declaration at its first ministerial conference on road safety in Moscow which includes specific action on vulnerable road users.

The declaration reads: "Make particular efforts to develop and implement policies and infrastructure solutions to protect all road users in particular those who are most vulnerable such as pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and users of unsafe public transport, as well as children, the elderly and people living with disabilities."

Is this just another declartion that will get lost in the already strained UN structure? We'll wait and see, but if Angelina Jolie would like to be the goodwill ambassador for this cause in addition to her UNICEF role, I'm sure she'd be most welcome.

The FIM CEO Guy Maitre, who attended the conference opened by Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, certainly welcomes the UN initiative.

"It was vital to attend - the FIM is a family of 101 national federations representing motorcycling worldwide and our mission runs beyond sport, we are the global advocate for motorcycling."

FIM Director of Public Affairs John Chatterton-Ross added: "Wire rope barriers? I don't think so! You can be certain this new and very welcome UN action will be widely quoted from now on as we work with governments to improve safety for riders and other vulnerable road users across the world."

Medvedev also had his say: "Road safety is one of the most serious problems of international development requiring immediate action.

"We need coordinated international effort, as this is an issue on the level of the global recession and food security."